"Life is where connections are made. You don't need to try to set up meaningful situations (special dinners, family meetings etc) for big things to happen. Meaningful moments come from the people gathered, not the context. From being together. Unschooling families in action." - Pam Larrachia's newsletter, issue #13.
I love this!! I was thinking about it in the context of "sit down meals," though it applies to so many things in life in general.
We don't normally sit down all together in one place at one time for a meal. Food is made when we are hungry and unless we have ants, it is eaten by the computers, in the living room, dining room or kitchen, with other people or not.
If I make a big breakfast, I usually make extra in case Katie is hungry after school as I know she eats very little while she's there. Because Jim works and likes to have dinner after returning from work, I save a plate for him or have leftovers available to heat up. Sometimes we eat late at night and so eat with Jim. No matter how we eat, there is no "should." Wherever and whenever we decide to eat is okay.
Some evenings, Jim will eat his dinner while he, Makana and I (and sometimes Li) watch Little House on the Prairie. We all Love that show and enjoy viewing it and talking about it together.
I love the freedom to eat when we are hungry and not feel like there is a certain time to eat what was put out on the table or that we somehow should come together to eat when we're into doing something else. Even if I wanted to do this (which I really don't), Jim gets home so late that it wouldn't be a good fit for our family to wait to eat with him. And Kanoa is too young to be comfortable eating at the table and I don't believe in making him do so. I don't believe in making anyone do so. I'm not up for coercing people to eat what I prepare and put out when I say so. It isn't how I roll. So....the idea of sit down meals is out and we do what we do are are content with it.
All that being said, there have been times when the kids wanted to have gone to a friend's house where they have sit down meals. And sometimes afterward they have asked me to make a sit down meal at the table like xyz's house has....and also to make the macaroni and cheese just like they did too. So I call for the recipe, the kids usually help prepare the table and the event is fun and special in and of itself.
How does anyone else feel about sit down meals?
I love this!! I was thinking about it in the context of "sit down meals," though it applies to so many things in life in general.
We don't normally sit down all together in one place at one time for a meal. Food is made when we are hungry and unless we have ants, it is eaten by the computers, in the living room, dining room or kitchen, with other people or not.
If I make a big breakfast, I usually make extra in case Katie is hungry after school as I know she eats very little while she's there. Because Jim works and likes to have dinner after returning from work, I save a plate for him or have leftovers available to heat up. Sometimes we eat late at night and so eat with Jim. No matter how we eat, there is no "should." Wherever and whenever we decide to eat is okay.
Some evenings, Jim will eat his dinner while he, Makana and I (and sometimes Li) watch Little House on the Prairie. We all Love that show and enjoy viewing it and talking about it together.
I love the freedom to eat when we are hungry and not feel like there is a certain time to eat what was put out on the table or that we somehow should come together to eat when we're into doing something else. Even if I wanted to do this (which I really don't), Jim gets home so late that it wouldn't be a good fit for our family to wait to eat with him. And Kanoa is too young to be comfortable eating at the table and I don't believe in making him do so. I don't believe in making anyone do so. I'm not up for coercing people to eat what I prepare and put out when I say so. It isn't how I roll. So....the idea of sit down meals is out and we do what we do are are content with it.
All that being said, there have been times when the kids wanted to have gone to a friend's house where they have sit down meals. And sometimes afterward they have asked me to make a sit down meal at the table like xyz's house has....and also to make the macaroni and cheese just like they did too. So I call for the recipe, the kids usually help prepare the table and the event is fun and special in and of itself.
How does anyone else feel about sit down meals?
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