Monday, November 16, 2015

an early dinner saved the witching hour



The children's mezze plate is what I make on "easy dinner night" (that or eggs + soldiers) - lots of fresh vegies, avocado on sourdough, hummus and olives. Every piece of nutritional information I have read has stressed the importance of children eating good fats with raw vegies so they are easily digested and absorbed. Poet will have a cup of chicken broth + soba noodles with this plate and Che will have a generous serve of feta on his sourdough (becasue try as I might, he's not a fan of broth). I should also point out that yes, there are many foods that my children won't eat. My home is not immune to fussy foodies.

You know the picture: hungry, tired children, a screaming baby and a messy kitchen with no dinner in sight. Uninspiring, isn't it.

Last week I decided to do something about it. Daylight savings had really thrown me in the past few weeks and as a result I was preparing and serving dinner far later that I cared for. It was stressful and strained - every night. So, on Sunday I announced on facebook that the best thing for everyone involved would be a 4:30pm dinner. It was one of those comments made on a whim and yet the response motivated me to make early dinners an everyday occurrence. It turns out that early dinners are what many mothers do in order to maintain their sanity. Yes it requires forethought and a certain amount of organisation but the rewards are plentiful.

A few things required to get dinner on the table by 5pm (I did make 4:30pm a few times but 5pm is more realistic for us)

- know exactly what you're making for dinner by lunchtime. I'm not a strict meal planner (even though I need to be) hence I often decide what we're having for dinner a few hours in advance. In order to make the early dinner a reality I have to do a little bit of preparation before the kids get home from school. If potatoes need to be baked I'll make sure they're all cut up and ready to go well before dinner time, for example.

- prepare a light afternoon tea. Perhaps the biggest benefit of an early dinner is the fact that it cuts short the "I'm hungry" whines that so often accompany the after-school routine. I serve a light afternoon tea of fruit, cheese muffins or banana bread and if they ask for more I suggest a glass of water or (rather smugly) tell them that dinner will be ready soon.

- Start on dinner as soon as you walk in the door from the school/afternoon activity run. This new routine involves a cup of tea (of course) and while the kids play outside or draw at the table (or squabble about this and that) I cook and keep an eye on Percy.

Perhaps what's most surprising is that the children haven't even noticed the change - again I'm reminded that they really aren't aware of time in the same way adults are. I am, however, reaping the benefits from this fabulous concept that is early dinner time...

- Percy now eats with the children which, overall, means less time in the kitchen and less food preparation (he is basically eating a smaller, chopped up version of the family meal).

- Once dinner is finished I can get the kitchen cleaned up well before the children are in bed (saves the dreaded sight of a messy kitchen after the sleepiness that accompanies story time).

- The kids are in the shower and dressed in their PJs with minimal fuss. Overall, the bath-pjs-bed routine is much smoother when dinner is served early.

- I don't have to stop making dinner to feed or soothe Percy. He eats with the big kids and then I settle him for bed while they have their showers and get dressed into PJs.

- if the kids are still hungry after dinner I'll serve a light supper - usually a bit of fruit with greek yogurt or crackers with cheese.

- because dinner is served early the kitchen is cleaned up early, too which means my evening is extended. Essentially this equals a much bigger chunk of free time in the evening - so very necessary for productive story writing and photo editing.

 - sometimes Daniel and I will eat with the children and on other nights we'll eat once everyone is tucked up in bed (hello romantic meal!).

Switching to an early dinnertime is simply a matter of adopting a new habit. Yes it requires discipline on your behalf but if you've got small children it really does save the witching hour.


23 COMMENTS

  1. Hubby and I have been doing this since our big girl was in preschool. I love the extended evening. We often eat after the girls do, and that's nice together-time. I'm glad you've found it useful :)

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  2. I love the look of Poet's dinner! I was a big fan of the early dinner when my kids where younger, as guided by this fantastic book. Then honey toast before bed as a snack, worked a charm.
    http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Earth-Handbook-Parents-Children/dp/0880105666

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  3. I'm a big fan of this too....we do showers before dinner and dinner at 5.30 pm (can be 5.15 pm) if I'm organized and then dessert is yoghurt and fruit. This way it's relaxing time and as you say the kitchen is cleaned up. I'm a single Mum so I eat with the kids and am not waiting around for someone else to come home to dinner. If kids are tied they don't have the energy to concentrate and eat and of course there is no more snacks after afternoon tea because they are meant to be hungry because dinner will be served. My kids are older 12 and 9 however I like early dinners as it makes for a smooth evening....in saying that when football season is on we aren't home until 7pm two nights a week and that throws me into total chaos because I'm starting from 7pm to do dinner, showers, unwind, reading bed etc...but for the next 5 months until footy starts I love our early dinners.

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  4. I love rolling an early dinner & we do it most nights. I have been know to start dinner after breakfast or when the toddlers are having their midday nap. It means the afternoon can be spent talking with the teenagers or out in the garden. It is a life saver!

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  5. This is definitely something I have to try. Thank you!

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  6. I'm a big fan of this too....we do showers before dinner and dinner at 5.30 pm (can be 5.15 pm) if I'm organized and then dessert is yoghurt and fruit. This way it's relaxing time and as you say the kitchen is cleaned up. I'm a single Mum so I eat with the kids and am not waiting around for someone else to come home to dinner. If kids are tied they don't have the energy to concentrate and eat and of course there is no more snacks after afternoon tea because they are meant to be hungry because dinner will be served. My kids are older 12 and 9 however I like early dinners as it makes for a smooth evening....in saying that when football season is on we aren't home until 7pm two nights a week and that throws me into total chaos because I'm starting from 7pm to do dinner, showers, unwind, reading bed etc...but for the next 5 months until footy starts I love our early dinners.

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  7. I do an early dinner also for lil miss 2. As hubby arrives home later i cook our dinner separately then serve her our leftovers for a main meal type lunch. Dinner for her is usually a mezze plate, eggs, prawn gyozas or the like. Easy finger food. It is easier for her to eat when she's tired and i have limited time. It does upset me that I'm not eating with her but on days I'm not at work i will eat lunch with her and weekends we eat as a family.

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  8. I'm inspired. I'm off to attempt a 5pm dinner now!

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  9. When I was growing up my Oma and Opa always had dinner at 5pm. We always thought it was strange, especially when we had sleepovers.
    Fast forward and our family have been having dinner at 5pm for years! Best thing! Come the summer months it means the kids can have some outside play while hubby and I clean up and before the bath, book, bed routine! We love it!

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  10. Yay so glad it is working for you. I have been doing it this way since my big kids were tiny. Now my littles are all at school it really does make for a smoother afternoon and evening.
    Love n hugs xx

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  11. I don't think we could manage a dinner that early because we always all eat together as a family BUT I do love your idea of a simple meal. It shouldn't always have to be a gourmet affair should it? When I lived in Germany for example salad, bread and cheese were the standard meal for dinner. By the way I just re-read your post on motherhood/ housework today and Oh my goodness I needed that reminder of how hard it is to juggle both... because I've really been feeling overwhelmed lately! So thank you :). x

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  12. That's so great to hear, Jodi! I start cooking at 4pm (after school pick up).
    We have dinner at 5pm, followed by baths. Somewhere around there the
    dishes get done. I'm with you on getting the kitchen clean before putting
    kids to bed! Dessert always comes next, as
    a reward for making it through a tired bath time! Baby goes down at 6pm
    and our five year old gets to play for an hour before his 7pm bedtime.
    I love having an early evening rhythm! xx

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  13. Excellent, well thought through advice Jodi. I was fortunate that my husband was usually home from work by 5 when the children were small, so we were usually able to eat together . in fact, it's only been this year, the second year of my youngest being at uni , that we've started eating at about 7pm! Old habits die hard!xx

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  14. Yes yes yes!! We've been doing the same with our son for the better part of this year and it's been so good to have that extra time to ourselves in the evening. So glad it's working for you! While your home might not be "immune to fussy foodies," I'm mightily impressed with Poet's dinner! Any tips for encouraging the eating of vegetables without them having to be cooked into something like a bolognese, stew or curry? X

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    1. The best thing you can do to encourage raw vegie eating it so cut them up into finger food and arrange them in a muffin tray! Ask your kids to help you choose which food goes in which tray - consider carrot, celery, sultanas, cheese, cherry toms, orange, capsicum, cucumber, avocado etc. Providing dipping sauces adds to the excitement, too (hummus, cream cheese)...I suppose it's just about making it interesting and getting them involved. And if it doesn't work? Leave it for a week and try again x

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    2. Muffin trays! All these little tricks. I love it. Guess what we're doing for lunch tomorrow. Thanks Jodi xx

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  15. Hi Jodi,

    I have two small children, age 4 and 2. They are with me all day. I live in Portugal, so is autumn here and the sunset is around 5:30pm. I'm considering an early dinner because I find the end of the day to messy and stressful which results in zero time for myself or time quality with the husband. In your opinion you think it could work for us? What time do you put your kids to bed?

    Thank you so much for your time.

    Xoxo

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  16. Perfect!!! And I am amazed how we seem to be working on the same issues at the same time -- no wonder, actually, since your third child an my third child were born only a couple hours (and time zones) apart. But really, meal planning has shown up on my radar only during the last couple of weeks, with the days getting impossibly short and dark (winter in Europe....) and our baby more and more interested in sharing not just the food but the table, the company of her siblings as well. Plus a husband that comes home at an impossible time (too late to start supper with us, too early for us to have finished...). Early dinner is what crossed my mind as well, although it did seem a little radical to me; but considering your positive experience, I feel encouraged to dive in!

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  17. A very healthy dinner, and it's also healthy to eat dinner early. Here in Sicily people have dinner at 9 or 10 PM, which is really not advisable. If you would like a chance to win a pair of Firmoo glasses please enter my Giveaway on my blog.

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  18. My mum would often put out a spread like that but in mezze style as they are both born from overseas. I use to have family meals together but since the little one came along it is loud and crazy at the table so we have also been feeding the children earlier and then we get to eat together only for a short time but it makes a wonderful difference. We weren't actually getting to have a conversation in the evenings.

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  19. When my boys were little I was fortunate that my husband's work hours were 7 am to 3 pm. We got into the habit early on of eating by 5 pm. So great for all and love that extra time when the kids are asleep and the chores are done. If you could take it one step further and meal plan, you'll love your life even more. Saves money and no running out for needed menu items. I only did a week at a time but even that saved my sanity on many an occasion. Good for you for finding a solution that works for your family!

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  20. In Norway everyone eats an early dinner! Working hours are 8-4 (although many people leave around 3 or 3.30 in my workplace at least) and everyone picks up their kids and goes straight home to eat dinner together as a family. We found it strange when we first moved here but we're so used to it now that when we stay with my parents in Australia it's hard to get used waiting till 6 or 6.30. My kids are 4 and 1 and it's sooooo much easier eating earlier for all the reasons you mention! In the summer it also means you have time to go and play outside after dinner, or go for a walk, which is nice.

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  21. This is just what i needed by yet another night of tear around the table from me and him as the stand off draws out. I think the key for me getting in the tabel at the right time and the deciding what he'll have will help and also using that time to make me eat a light snack with him. I've been doing a dance when it comes to dinner time. Thanks for sharing! x
    http://wildandgrizzly.com

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