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10 Dinner Tips For a Busy Family

We are going to dive straight in today! I am going to teach you my 10 tips for making sure that you are able to get a meal on the table and get the kids to bed on time. I do not mess around with bedtime because I am a monster if I don’t get enough sleep. There have been a few times that we have gone away from these 10 tips, and my kids go to bed late, and it throws everything off!

#1 Know Your Favorite Family Meals

These should be your go-to meals all the time! I talk about this so much because it is hard. Every family has picky eaters. We work hard on it. Everyone has different time restraints on when they can start dinner. This leads to #2: know your start time.

#2 Know What Time You Need to Start Dinner in Order to Get Everyone to Bed On Time

Not every family has the ability to start dinner at 4:30 p.m. If you do, that should be your start time! If you can’t, what can you do to make getting dinner on the table at an hour that works for your family much easier? This takes us straight to #3: prep your food beforehand.

#3 Prep Your Food Beforehand

You should not be doing all of your cooking from scratch that evening even if you are starting at 4:30 p.m. Unless I know that these are the three things I’m pulling out and putting in the pan. But if the meal has anything else, things are prepped beforehand. You need to know what you’re having for your meals in order to do this. You need to know what you are eating and what can you prepare ahead of time. Often this happens on the weekend for me. When I go to cook a meal I know whether or not it’s going to be simple, and if I can start prepping for the next meal while making tonight’s meal.

#4 Get Your Fridge and Pantry Organized!

If I could come to your kitchen and get your fridge and pantry organized for you I would because I love this so much! Mine is currently not as organized as I would like, but the good news is I can do it while I’m making dinner tonight! That is because I prepped tonight’s meal ahead of time, so it will be super simple and easy. While things are cooking I can pull everything out of my fridge, give it a good wipe down, and put it back in the order it needs to be organized.

#5 Wash As You Go

What does this have to do with quick and easy meals and getting kids to bed on time? If you have a super dirty kitchen you are not going to get to bed on time. It’s going to make it so much harder for you to navigate the things you need to do to get your kids to bed on time too. Make sure you’re washing your dishes as you go. This is the number one thing my mom taught me, and it’s stuck. We wash our dishes as we go, and there’s really not much to do when we’re done cooking.

#6 Call the Kids to the Kitchen 20 Minutes Before Dinner is Done

This is a big one for me! Make sure you are calling them well before dinner is done. Not so they can sit at the table and be bored. This is the time for them to start cleaning up their work or whatever it is they’re doing. That is their cue to clean up, wash, their hands, and start their jobs to get dinner on the table. This is a huge opportunity for them and for you. This makes it less cumbersome for you, it gives them more responsibilities, and it allows them to see how food is prepared and the hard work you do!

Without fail, I am always the last one to sit at the table. I want my kids to see and know how hard that work is. This is not a full-service resort. We say thank you. The kids get their own cups of water and get their own napkins. They ask “how can I help”? Let them see that the food just doesn’t appear.

I know this is really hard with younger kids. I used to wear my babies and give them a wooden spoon. Even when they’re so small, you can still talk to them about what you’re doing. They sat in a high chair with me in the kitchen when they get bigger. It has taught them so much!

#7 Dinner Should Be Screen Free

Don’t let your screens even be within arms reach. That includes the TV. Sometimes we have meals with the TV on, but it is a separate thing we call a “picnic dinner.” It’s a bit of a treat, and sometimes we do it too much and realize we need to come back to the kitchen table. There is a balance for my family and there can be a balance for your family. What we’ve realized is that the kids stay up too late when there are screens on.

#8 Have Cleanup Jobs

This is such a big transition point when dinner is done, and moving into their bedtime routine. If you lose them, game over. You have to keep them engaged in this pivotal moment. My kids have to ask to be excused from the table for a reason. It draws attention to what is next. When they have to ask to be excused I get to prompt them on what’s coming up next. It gives them an opportunity to see how they can continue to be involved. Whatever the first thing for the bedtime routine is should come next. We want to keep them on track after dinner is done.

#9 No Screens After Dinner

We go straight to the first domino of their bedtime routine. When we stick to tip #6 (screen-free dinner) it allows us to connect and have conversations with our kids. There are so many different things you can talk about including the food! This could be different textures, flavors, or how something was prepared. Our kids love this time. Will it be hard to transition away if your kids are used to having screens during dinner or right after? Yes, it will be hard. They will get over it when they realize how much you’re pouring into them, and the attention they are getting from you.

#10 Verbally Remind Them of Their Favorite Part of the Bedtime Routine

That after-dinner or bedtime routine needs to have something that they look forward to no matter how old your kids are. Maybe it’s something they look forward to doing with you. But here are some other things they might look forward to. Our kids have been warped by a fast-paced world. They are constantly looking for entertainment. Staying focused and following multi-step directions is very hard for them, but it’s a skill they need! The more you can prompt and keep them within the guardrails of their routines, the more they’re going to grow up to be independent and productive.

We are trying to produce a solid bedtime routine for our kids with things they can look forward to. Some of the things they look forward to are books, oil routines, and yoga books. We are always transitioning how much independence to give as each child grows. For example, one of the things we are now having our five-year-old do is to get her pajamas on by herself. Things like this give me the time and space to help my kids learn how to wrap up their day well.

The hope with this is that you will be able to use these 10 dinner tips to be able to focus on the bedtime routine, and make that a special time for your family while making sure everyone gets to bed on time!

Getting your kids involved with making dinner is a huge opportunity for them and for you. This provides help for you, it gives them more responsibilities, and it allows them to see how food is prepared and the hard work you do!