• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Cole Mines

parenting... from the heart

  • HOME
  • ABOUT THE COLE MINES – contact me
  • TOPICS
    • Parenting
    • From The Heart
    • Household tips
    • Recipes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Marriage

October 15, 2015

Day 14 The Meal Time Rule We Do Not Break

In our house, we don’t keep a ton of “rules” but Day 14 The Meal Time Rule We Do Not Break is one I learned myself growing up and it made a huge impact on me.  It will impact your entire day if you follow it, and you will be guaranteed that your children will enjoy sitting down to eat with you.

The Meal Time Rule We Do Not Break

Growing up, I lived what I think was a pretty idyllic life.  We grew up poor in money but never in spirit or love.  God always made sure we had enough…not an excess but more than enough to be okay.

So I certainly would not say we argued a lot or had a ton of disagreements.  But I will say my older sister caused a fair amount of tension and stress in our home.  I witnessed over and over her try my parents’ patience but never their love.  

And when she couldn’t push my mom and dad any more, she shifted her frustrations over to my younger sister and me.  

But through it all, my mom and dad maintained there would be one place in our home that would remain a sanctuary – a place of peace and quiet and calm…

The Dinner Table…

And my parents meant it…because this was unfortunately not how my dad grew up.  So he knew first-hand the internal churning of your stomach while you were supposed to enjoy a meal but could not really because there was tension and anger hanging in the air.

And he knew that this was not what food was meant to be.  That food was meant to nourish your body, but also your soul.  That breaking bread at the dinner table with those you love most should be a calm moment in a calamitous world.  

And so he made sure it never was that way in our home.

I’m sure there was much tongue-holding and sitting on hands, but for the life of me, I can’t recall a time when sitting at the table with my family was not an enjoyable experience.  

And I want to make sure my girls can say the same thing 20 years from now.

So when meal times roll around, disagreements get put aside.  It’s not the time to discuss them not listening well today or why they couldn’t get along in the playroom.  It’s not the time to argue with Bryan over why he forgot to tell me he was working late.  It’s not the time to talk about punishments or poor listening in school.

No – it’s time to share our days with each other.  To enjoy each other’s company.  To ask what we loved about what the day…and what we didn’t.  To talk about our meal.  To see the smiles in my children’s faces.  To pray and thank God for all that he has given us…we have an abundance in a world of need.  

To cherish our time together after a long day.  To be grateful that in a world of sadness and loneliness, we belong to each other.  

Everything else can wait.

hillary fb

If you have missed any in the series 31 Days & 31 Ways To Be A Better Mom, catch up here:

31 Days and 31 Ways To Be A Better Mom

INTRO TO SERIES:

INTRO TO 31 DAYS & 31 WAYS TO BE A BETTER MOM

DAY 1: OUR BEFORE SCHOOL RULE

DAY 2: UNPLUG AND PLUG IN

DAY 3: STEP AWAY FROM YOUR CHILD

DAY 4: EMBRACE YOUR CRAZY

DAY 5: BE A REBEL

DAY 6: DO AS I SAY

DAY 7: FIND YOUR VILLAGE

DAY 8: DIVIDE & CONQUER

DAY 9: ONE SMART COOKIE

DAY 10: CREATE YOUR OWN FAMILY TRADITIONS

DAY 11: STOP COMPARING YOUR CHILD

DAY 12: TAKE CARE OF #1

DAY 13: DATE YOUR CHILD

DAY 14: THE MEAL TIME RULE WE DON’T BREAK

DAY15: GIVE THEM KISSES LOTS OF KISSES

DAY 16: IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM, BE THEIR CALM

DAY 17: PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES

DAY 18: QUIT BEATING YOURSELF UP

DAY 19: RELAX…YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO FINISH

DAY 20: NURTURING YOUR MARRIAGE AFTER CHILDREN

DAY 21: WHEN THEY ARE HARD TO LOVE, LOVE THEM HARDER

DAY 22: FAMILY DINNER SHMINNER

DAY 23: REBELLION IS A CRAZY THING

DAY 24: TELL THEM IT WILL GET BETTER

DAY 25: YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOVE YOUR KIDS THE SAME

DAY 26: IT’S OKAY TO WISH TODAY WAS OVER

DAY 27: BE A GOOD DAUGHTER

DAY 28: QUIT TRYING TO BE THAT OTHER MOM

DAY 29: YOU CAN’T BUY THEIR HAPPINESS

DAY 30: TELL YOUR KIDS YOU ARE A FAILURE

DAY 31: LEARNING TO LET GO

 

 

 

Tweet

Filed Under: Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: 31 days, better mom, kids, never argue at dinner, parenting

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Day 20 Nurturing Your Marriage After Children - The Cole Mines says:
    April 11, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    […] DAY 14: THE MEAL TIME RULE WE DON’T BREAK […]

    Reply
  2. Day 2 Unplug And Plug In - The Cole Mines says:
    June 25, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    […] DAY 14: THE MEAL TIME RULE WE DON’T BREAK […]

    Reply
  3. Day 4 Embrace Your Crazy - The Cole Mines says:
    July 3, 2016 at 11:12 pm

    […] DAY 14: THE MEAL TIME RULE WE DON’T BREAK […]

    Reply
  4. Be A Rebel in motherhood - choose your path - The Cole Mines says:
    July 8, 2016 at 12:48 am

    […] DAY 14: THE MEAL TIME RULE WE DON’T BREAK […]

    Reply
  5. Before School Rule - The Cole Mines says:
    July 18, 2016 at 10:08 pm

    […] DAY 14: THE MEAL TIME RULE WE DON’T BREAK […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Find me here, too!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Hi I'm Hillary! Just a mom trying to raise my kids the best I can in this crazy world. I hope you'll join me as we figure out how to be the best mom, wife and person we can be!

Free encouraging tips

Our favorite things

  • Featured
  • from the heart
  • Health & Wellness
  • Household tips
  • Let's Get Crafty
  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Pearls of Wisdom
  • Raising Kids
  • recipes
  • Uncategorized

POPULAR POSTS

Why My Kids Don't Have Chores

Why My Kids Don’t Have Chores

Day 1 Our Before School Rule

Before School Rule

a june cleaver in a feminist world

A June Cleaver In A Feminist World

to my firstborn..I'm sorry

To My Firstborn…I’m Sorry

Best Gifts For Moms On The Go – PLUS GIVEAWAY

BLOG ARCHIVES


Footer

LET’S BE SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

BOOKMARK

  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT THE COLE MINES

MEET THE BLOGGER

About The Cole Mines

Copyright© 2021 · by Shay Bocks