Did you ever wonder what happened to the family dinner hour? Do you even remember what that was all about? Long before Marge and Homer we had shows on television that promoted family values. Shows like; the Donna Reed Show, Leave it to Beaver, and Father Knows best.
One thing these shows had in common, other than being about families, they had at least one scene where the family sat down together for dinner. Friends were expected to leave, Kids rarely had conflicting actives, and Parents were always home on time.
Wow! You say. When did that happen? The stone age? It was the fifties and sixties. Even on Gilligan’s Island the whole group sat down for at least one meal together.
What happened to all that togetherness? Erma Bombeck wrote in her book, Family-the ties that bind . . . and Gag "The problem at family dinners is that no one can agree on what is considered to be a fit topic to discuss at dinner time." She said Children tend to talk about subjects that take away your interest in food. Men want to talk about money, and mothers use dinner to discuss the sins the children committed in their diapers.
It doesn’t have to be that way you know. If a man cooks a Dutch oven meal in the backyard, Mother’s love it, because they don’t have to cook. Children love it, because they think they’re camping. Dad loves it because he’s saving money by not taking the family out to eat. Really, though, he loves it, because he adores his new hobby. The reverse is also true if the mother does the cooking.
The hidden benefit to all this? If you can find a way to pique the interest of the young ones, you will have them cooking in Dutch ovens. When they find success with a black pot, they will be hooked for life. Then, Mom and Dad can really enjoy the backyard party.
Of course if it gets around the block or the extended family that someone is cooking in Dutch ovens, you won’t need to worry. Dad will have friends talking to him, Mom will be able to compare notes with other moms, and the kids . . . well, if you get enough of them interested, you can hold cook offs in your backyard.
Save me a spoonful of cobbler and put a little ice cream on it for me, will you?
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1 comment:
Your post makes me think of getting back to those good old-fashioned days when life was just simpler and we weren't running around trying to pay bills or stay afloat. I think we lose a lot of family togetherness when we get that busy. What a great idea, to reconnect over good, home cooked meals the whole family can prepare together.
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