This Isn't Your Average TV Dinner

The Mother Freakin' Princess (The MFP)

When Nathan and I were young, we knew the importance of “Family Dinner”. We wanted to be fantastic parents, so we made Family Dinner a priority. It was decided, each and every night, we would have Family Dinner. We’d pray, talk about the day, eat a good meal, and spend some time together; not plugged into the TV, a computer, or a phone. 

Soon after our youngest was born, Nathan started working from home. Along with Family Dinner, we started having "Family Breakfast", everyday. It was a blessing; we got more family time at the table! After Family Breakfast, the kids would go to school. Nathan and I would have "Couple’s Lunch" (or something like that).

Then we started homeschooling. We were having Family Breakfast, Family Lunch, AND Family Dinner. Every once in awhile we’d go crazy, we’d watch a movie with the kids and eat “Regular Dinner” in the living room. *GASP* It was a big deal. There were no prayers, and we didn’t really mind our manners. We didn’t even talk to each other. We’d sit on the couch with our TV trays, eating dinner, and watching a show.

This summer we started watching Star Trek: Next Generation* a few times a week for Regular Dinner. Uh….there are SEVEN seasons to this show. It will take us for-ev-er to watch it all. My OCD/ADD brain couldn’t wrap itself around that.

So what did we do?

We started to eat Regular Dinner in front of the TV EVERY night. Now, we drag our TV trays out, dim the lights, and explore the Universe with Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and his crew**. The four of us laugh at Data, tease commander Riker when he schmoozes the women, and mock the crew every time they talk about taking “shore leave.”

Turns out, it’s not Regular Dinner after all. It’s much more than that. It’s time to unwind, be silly, and share something together. It’s “TV Dinner”.

I don’t know how long this new tradition will last. We might stop after seven seasons of Star Trek, or maybe we’ll find another show to watch, but for now we’ll enjoy Family Breakfast, Family Lunch, and TV Dinner.

~The MFP

*I know! This show was out in '87, but I was really busy back then. I was having LOTS of "orthodontist" appointments, doing homework, and taking AP classes skipping classes, hitting the McDonald's drive through, and heading to Brookdale Mall.

**OMG! NOW I KNOW WHO WILL WHEATON IS!

From the Judges:

I love this, because it reminds me of some of the happy times after my parents got divorced. My mom would let me stay up late, and we'd watch Star Trek (the re-runs of the original ones) and then after that, The Next Generation would come on. It wasn't a huge thing, but it was something that gave me some normalcy in a time when my life was really screwed up. It's the little things that really make the difference, and although this isn't something HUGE like a holiday tradition, it's something that the kids will remember. And gawd... Will Wheaton was hot! I had such a crush on him in those shows... lol.

-Tessa Taboo

One quick question comes to mind right off the bat, what is that picture at the beginning of this post? Who are they and what do they have to do with it? Am I missing something? Shouldn't accompanying photos have something to do with the post at hand? You have three kids right? Maybe even a caption would help me out? You took the effort link to blog posts of yours but couldn't tell me what the picture was?
I don't know how you guys spend that much time together? I love my family but man I would go crazy if we ate every meal together, because half the time is spent trying to convince my kids to actually eat. I did like how the post was short and to the point and it was a nice story. That photo at the beginning just bugged me out.

-Daddy's in Charge?

Very clever play on words. I really like that you chose an everyday tradition; it's a good reminder that the special moments families have aren't reserved for special times of the year.

Nice job on adding the links to your posts, too. It's always good to do!

-The Spaghetti Westerner

It's great to know that your family's spending that much time together. It's something that not all families get to do.

I'm with the other judges though on the first photo. But I like that the post is short and sweet.

-Bay Area Mommy

I'll first let you know that I love TNG, and I am a Wil Wheaton fan, so if your plan was to "play to the judges," you were off to a good start. Your title is clever, and you gave a bit of background as to how your family dinner tradition shifted, but I don't feel like I learned anything about you. I'll agree that the first photo felt out of place.

Overall, it really felt more informative to me. I'm hoping to see more creative writing in the weeks to come.

-From the Bungalow

I liked this because I can relate. When you have that first baby you just know that you will have those perfect family dinners every night. We too have family breakfast, lunch, AND dinner and at times it's just easier on the old sanity to eat in different rooms. I agree with Daddy's in Charge? about the first picture though. Good Job!

-You Know It Happens At Your House Too (Guest Judge)