Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Dinner Without Dad?

I've been toying with the idea of feeding the girls and I dinner well before daddy gets home. Why? Well, he works late. Most often he's out the door by 5:30am and he's not home until 6:30-6:45pm. I think he would work later if it weren't for the girls. He does a great job of helping me put them to bed and cleaning up after dinner.

My dilemma is this: By 5:00, the girls are starving. After their nap, they have a sizable snack. Milk, fruit, yogurt, etc. I try to give them something that has protein to keep them full until dinner. Usually right as Matt walks through the door.

Lately, they just can't make it. The tears and begging for food has become more than I can handle. I haven't been making dinner early because, well, I don't know why, I guess because I want it fresh and hot for Matt.

So, I've been thinking of starting dinner around 4:00 and eating when it's cooked and cooled enough for the girls to eat it (probably by 5:00-5:30). Since it's very important for us to eat as a family whenever possible, I hate to eat without daddy. However, I think that when Matt comes home, we can all sit down and have a before bed "snack" with him while he eats his dinner. What do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Thoughts?

6 comments:

House Dad said...

I shoot for dinner between 5:30 and 6:00. Right now, Jennifer is home for dinner 2-3 days a week. It makes life easier if she's home but if she's not, I can't hold dinner until she gets in the door.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. The idea of the "night snack" is a good one. Some nights, I'd bet that Ellie and Campbell could eat a whole meal again just an hour or two later.

The Dunns said...

I think it's a great idea! The key to parenting is flexibility and at this stage it sounds like you've figured out what you need. Family meals are important but you can keep that going if you all sit down together when Matt gets home and talk about the day, give the girls a snack... Then, after five minutes or so together, let the girls get down and play while you and Matt have some quiet "Mommy & Daddy time". That would help with the problem of fighting to keep Olivia at the table, too. This won't last forever, just during this time of tiny tummies and late work days. You can adjust it as your situation changes.

Good luck!

Unknown said...

Yeah, BJ, I think Olivia would probably eat again too. For a kid in the 5%, she sure can chow down.

Thanks for after snack tip of letting them get down after a few minutes, Holly. Good idea.

Anonymous said...

I vote for feeding them early and having a snack/dessert/whatever with dad when he gets home.

At their age, time is hard to judge and they don't understand what 45minutes/1hour means, you could say a day and it's the same thing. One day, they will have to learn and I'm all for that, but make it easier for yourself and feed them and come up with another routine with Matt.
That's my 2cents

Amie Davis said...

I think it's a great idea! Then on the weekends you can enjoy a "real" family dinner.

Angie said...

I don't wait dinner on Allen. Dinner time is at 5:30. We're all hungry then. Even when Allen is home he is now programmed to eat that early. I understand wanting to have family dinners, but your kids need to eat. Even before kids, I didn't always wait for Allen for dinner. I would just get too hungry.