Comments on: How Long? http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/ Juggling my roles as wife, homemaker, and mother of four Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:15:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Andrea @ The Train To Crazyhttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5321 Andrea @ The Train To Crazy Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:48:27 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5321 No advice for you. Just wanted to say enjoy that time. It may not be a walk or the park but it sounds lovely. My husband eats dinner with us maybe once or twice a week since he gets home after 8 or 9 (or later) every night. I'm hoping some day we'll be able to eat together! No advice for you. Just wanted to say enjoy that time. It may not be a walk or the park but it sounds lovely. My husband eats dinner with us maybe once or twice a week since he gets home after 8 or 9 (or later) every night. I’m hoping some day we’ll be able to eat together!

]]> By: Andreahttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5293 Andrea Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:42:47 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5293 So I am totally not responding to your question here....but I did notice the lovely picture you picked to go with this post. Rockwell created that picture as a part of a series called "The Four Freedoms" during WWII. This one is called "Freedom from Want." Isn't dinnertime such a great picture of our freedom from want? It also goes well with your blog bling :) So I am totally not responding to your question here….but I did notice the lovely picture you picked to go with this post. Rockwell created that picture as a part of a series called “The Four Freedoms” during WWII. This one is called “Freedom from Want.” Isn’t dinnertime such a great picture of our freedom from want? It also goes well with your blog bling :)

]]> By: Kathy W-Bhttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5256 Kathy W-B Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:26:00 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5256 Well, we have done two things that can help us finish up a little more quickly. However, to be honest, we will be sitting there for a while before we realize we have been there way too long. Then, we try one of these two things . . . one night, not too long ago, I told Kelsey she couldn't talk anymore until she started eating. Her mode of procrastination was lots and lots of of talking. That worked. But the thing we do much more frequently is to tell or show Kelsey what she has to eat. This can mean saying, "Four bites of chicken, all your broccoli, etc." I started the number of bites thing with Morgan. She has the illusion of control, but we choose the number of bites. But we also often "portion out" the amount she has to eat before leaving the table. Then she generally just puts it down. She can see it's not everything on her plate, and somewhere along the line, she's made her peace with us being the one to decide the number of bites . . . for what it's worth . . . :) Well, we have done two things that can help us finish up a little more quickly. However, to be honest, we will be sitting there for a while before we realize we have been there way too long. Then, we try one of these two things . . . one night, not too long ago, I told Kelsey she couldn’t talk anymore until she started eating. Her mode of procrastination was lots and lots of of talking. That worked. But the thing we do much more frequently is to tell or show Kelsey what she has to eat. This can mean saying, “Four bites of chicken, all your broccoli, etc.” I started the number of bites thing with Morgan. She has the illusion of control, but we choose the number of bites. But we also often “portion out” the amount she has to eat before leaving the table. Then she generally just puts it down. She can see it’s not everything on her plate, and somewhere along the line, she’s made her peace with us being the one to decide the number of bites . . . for what it’s worth . . . :)

]]> By: Rebecca V.http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5252 Rebecca V. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:17:07 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5252 Do you have something fun that you can do after dinner? We've told the kids that we are going to go for a bike ride afterwards and sometimes that gets them moving. Gosh girl that is a long time! Do you have something fun that you can do after dinner? We’ve told the kids that we are going to go for a bike ride afterwards and sometimes that gets them moving. Gosh girl that is a long time!

]]> By: Erin @ Closing Timehttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5251 Erin @ Closing Time Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:20:30 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5251 Our dinnertime is usually about an hour...sometimes longer. The kids are pretty slow. Our challenge is keeping them from playing with their food. If we would let them, they would have the mommy green bean talking to the baby green beans, diving into the mashed potatoes, etc. Good imaginations plus food can be a dangerous thing!! Our dinnertime is usually about an hour…sometimes longer. The kids are pretty slow. Our challenge is keeping them from playing with their food. If we would let them, they would have the mommy green bean talking to the baby green beans, diving into the mashed potatoes, etc. Good imaginations plus food can be a dangerous thing!!

]]> By: Crystalhttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5250 Crystal Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:37:15 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5250 ha ha, that last anonymous comment was me... Crystal....oops! ha ha, that last anonymous comment was me… Crystal….oops!

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5249 Anonymous Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:36:33 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5249 thanks for your tips and advice. We have a strict no snack policy at our house, no food AT ALL between lunch and dinner. Our dinner battles is mostly with my middle child. And it really is a mere battle of will. If I were to give her kidney beans, baked beans, hot dogs, or mac n cheese, she would eat it in no time flat. But b/c the food is not what she wants, she dawdles. I have done the timer thing, the bed without eating thing. No worries to her. She'll even skip dessert. But I fear then that she is winning. She is choosing when and what she wants to eat and isn't obeying. We don't do dessert every day. When we do, if I was to say ok, it's been 25 min. looks like you don't want to eat dessert, then she'd clean her plate in no time flat. I don't want her to obey when it suits her b/c she likes the reward, I want her to obey b/c I told her to eat what I fixed. But, I also don't want to make dinner a daily battle. And yet I don't want to avoid the battle and just make what I know they'll eat either. Anyway, I was just wondering if other people had long meals as well or if it was just us. thanks for your tips and advice.
We have a strict no snack policy at our house, no food AT ALL between lunch and dinner. Our dinner battles is mostly with my middle child. And it really is a mere battle of will. If I were to give her kidney beans, baked beans, hot dogs, or mac n cheese, she would eat it in no time flat. But b/c the food is not what she wants, she dawdles. I have done the timer thing, the bed without eating thing. No worries to her. She’ll even skip dessert. But I fear then that she is winning. She is choosing when and what she wants to eat and isn’t obeying. We don’t do dessert every day. When we do, if I was to say ok, it’s been 25 min. looks like you don’t want to eat dessert, then she’d clean her plate in no time flat. I don’t want her to obey when it suits her b/c she likes the reward, I want her to obey b/c I told her to eat what I fixed. But, I also don’t want to make dinner a daily battle. And yet I don’t want to avoid the battle and just make what I know they’ll eat either. Anyway, I was just wondering if other people had long meals as well or if it was just us.

]]> By: Rebeccahttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5248 Rebecca Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:02:51 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5248 Our kids are fairly quick eaters. One, they like food and two, they like food. I keep wanting to linger at the table and talk more, but nope...they dine and dash on me!When it's just me and the two littles I talk to them about their day and when it's the whole family it's a pure chaos. Fun times. Our kids are fairly quick eaters. One, they like food and two, they like food. I keep wanting to linger at the table and talk more, but nope…they dine and dash on me!

When it’s just me and the two littles I talk to them about their day and when it’s the whole family it’s a pure chaos. Fun times.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5247 Anonymous Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:49:27 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5247 If they are hungry, they will eat. Are they having a snack that they enjoy more between lunch and dinner? When my younger children were that age, I couldn't give them snacks, or they wouldn't eat well. Do they eat faster when you are promoting a fun evening activity for when they are done? There's nothing worse than planning and preparing a meal, only to have your children sit there and complain!! If they are hungry, they will eat. Are they having a snack that they enjoy more between lunch and dinner? When my younger children were that age, I couldn’t give them snacks, or they wouldn’t eat well. Do they eat faster when you are promoting a fun evening activity for when they are done? There’s nothing worse than planning and preparing a meal, only to have your children sit there and complain!!

]]> By: Meganhttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5246 Megan Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:47:27 +0000 http://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/06/23/how-long/#comment-5246 Our dinners aren't too long - 30 minutes max. My kids are pretty quick eaters. When they are both done (within reason) they are able to leave the table while Matt and I linger. I hate long dinners in the summer because the evening is my favorite time of day. What about making lighter, lunch type foods - sandwiches, salads - stuff like that! Or even eating outside for a treat. Giving them that extra incentive to eat up so they can start playing! Our dinners aren’t too long – 30 minutes max. My kids are pretty quick eaters. When they are both done (within reason) they are able to leave the table while Matt and I linger. I hate long dinners in the summer because the evening is my favorite time of day. What about making lighter, lunch type foods – sandwiches, salads – stuff like that! Or even eating outside for a treat. Giving them that extra incentive to eat up so they can start playing!

]]>