The girls were in high school…
C-boy a toddler when my mother came to visit for a few days. Her offer to help with dinner (supper in the Midwest) was accepted but postponed until later in the evening, when the girls would be home.
The next afternoon I began preparations for the meal.
Her voice tinged with frustration, my mother who had served supper at 5:30 every evening inquired, “What time do you normally eat supper?”
“When the most people are in the house,” was my reply.
When my nephews were in high school…
active in sports and academic life, their father, my brother, asked me if we had been able to eat together as a family when the girls were at that stage.
“We ate when the most people were at home,” was my reply.
Our house now has two teenagers…
and yes, dinner time is fluid. The boys have limited extracurricular activities and few friends in the immediate neighborhood. COVID thwarted many social opportunities for all of us. Most of us are home most of the time.
However, the boys are teenagers, descending the stairs anywhere from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm for their first meal. I often catch Blue Boy preparing his lunch at 4:00.
Thus ED has reached out to the boys to determine when they want to eat. Meaning we may eat at 4:30 or 7:30 or any time between. Meals are prepared and served between Zoom meetings. Usually, we sit together at the table, which may include three to five people.
Raising children later in life…
keeps you young, people say. I attest that it can also age you. The physical demands are more intense, calling attention to one’s decreased stamina and strength.
The ever-changing needs and fads of children tax the mind. It is impossible to get into a rut. Given the risks involved with decreased cognitive flexibility, living in a household with varied dinner times may be mentally healthy.
When I am feeling frustrated with the lack of routine, I envision our life in five years, when the boys are out of the house.
The truth is that for now, I prefer this chaotic ride.
