Friday, February 19, 2010

Dinner hour!!! Calm or chaotic?

Sometimes as we approach the dinner hour things are a little bit chaotic in our house.  Is it at yours?

So in our search for ways to make our dinner hour a little more calm and a little less chaotic I came across an idea about having a moment of silence at the dinner table, allowing everyone to calm down and get ready for the blessing.  This seemed to work for a time but as with a lot of parenting attempts it didn't seem to completely solve the problem.  So Ben suggested we try to sing a hymn before we say the blessing.  We call everyone for dinner only once.  If they don't arrive then we begin to sing (we started at the beginning of the book and are going in numerical order).  The singing normally brings the missing child quickly to their seat.  I think singing really sets a nice tone for dinner to follow.  I can't say it has solved everything but I think it has helped to make everyone feel a little more calm, especially Mom! 



So what works for your family?  Do you have any traditions that help your dinner hour be a pleasant experience?

4 comments:

  1. That is so cute. I can just picture you guys, singing at the table :]

    Well, it is a miracle if we are all together for dinner in the first place. We are always so busy and all over the place. I guess that is what happens when we all get older and aren't home as much.

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  2. Such a great question. I think what I'd like to do as my kiddos get older is to implement your song idea!

    Something we have started doing with my daughter is whispering. She likes to scream, so we whisper to remind her that quiet is good. Not sure if it's working or not...I'll have to get back to you on that. : )

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  3. What a great idea! I have to admit that I have a borrowed hymn book at my house ( I love beside my church) and we used to do the same thing. As my middle one got older we sorta stopped. Maybe it's time to start up again!

    Have a great week!

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  4. I love this idea! Our dinner hour is very chaotic and not as enjoyable as it should be. On Monday's I try to set the table with a table cloth and that has a calming effect on everyone, but it's only once a week and not real regular. This would make a huge difference, I think. Plus the kids would learn the hymns too! Thanks!!!

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