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Eschewing Fake Life Rules
How my family’s eating dinner on the couch increases our quality time and conversations.
A few years ago, I embraced the idea of ‘fake life rules.’ Why was I having cake on my birthday when I prefer cookies or cupcakes? Why couldn’t I dance in the middle of a supermarket if they were playing good music? Why can’t I wear bikinis and cut-off jean shorts in my 40s? As my mom always says, “Who is the ‘they’ that makes all these rules?’”
Exactly. I don’t know “them,” so I would start breaking them and live the life I wanted, the one that was best for my family and me.
That led to my family eating dinner on the couch every night.
We sit with trays on our laps, watching TV, and I couldn’t love it more, even though it goes against all the ‘rules.’
As a kid, we ate dinner together as a family around the kitchen table — special moments I’ll never forget. So, I assumed I’d do the same when I had kids. All the parenting books said that sitting with your kids at dinner, distraction-free, was the best way to engage with them and learn about what was going on with their lives.
But once I had kids and started implementing that, it felt forced. My girls have always been open about telling me about their day in the car ride home…