We have a not-so-nice name for a certain time of the day. I bet you do, too. It’s that time when everybody starts arriving home at the end of their day, and life is suddenly a pressure cooker! Homework, chores, dinner-prep, getting someone somewhere…it all has to happen NOW. We call it “the witching hours”. Even if you’re in a great mood, and had a good day – I guarantee you the witching hours will make you grouchy and witchy. I know it’s October and a fun time to be talking about witches, but honey, we really want to avoid turning into one if possible. It’s not a good look. LOL
I often feel defeated at dinner time – despite the fact that I’ve gone to all the effort to plan a menu, and get groceries in the house. Dinnertime rolls around; I look at my menu and I find what I’ve planned for the night is just NOT gonna work. And…we end up going out. So, I’m blowing my budget, everyone’s eating poorly, and we’re wasting food as it sits there unused in the fridge. (At the time I’m writing this – inflation is a monster – buying food and eating out are both super-expensive!) This is not okay.
I can’t help you with your crazy schedules, and your kids’ homework (especially the math! <scream>), but I can help you with dinner! Here’s how…
Go grab some sticky notes, head over to the STED Freebie Library and print this one:
Now, go ahead and plan your menu, make your shopping list and get those groceries like usual. Instead of sticking with your dinner plans on certain days, write down each dinner on a sticky note and stick them to a square, randomly, on this weekly menu. No assigned days. Now, post it on the fridge.
The whole family can see what’s happening that week, dinner-wise, and magically dinnertime becomes flexible! As you go, you might see that “Taco Tuesday” is not gonna work on Tuesday, but it’s perfect for Friday – or “leftovers” need to happen on the busiest night of the week instead of tonight, or making that complicated recipe is maybe best for Sunday, instead of Thursday. Or, maybe one dinner you planned for later in the week just sounds good tonight! Instead of feeling defeated and upset after all the effort and planning you’ve gone to, you’re suddenly the hero who has the week’s dinners figured out, food bought, and everybody’s going with the flow. Ta-dah! Magic.
All joking aside, I know this is a really small and simple idea — but small, helpful, good things add up in a day to make it a better one. And that’s what we’re all about here. Having routines that actually work help our families feel taken care of and that home is a haven from the craziness. No room for witches or monsters or screaming, even if it is October.