Judging by the mountain of Harry Potter party cupcake rings, ?happy birthday? banners and matching plates heaped on my dining table, it?s almost time for my oldest daughter to turn nine.
That?s nine years of family dinners. Almost every night.
Eating together is something my husband and I committed to early on, inspired by our four-year stint in Italy, where three of our four babies were born. But it hasn?t always been easy. We?re now a family of six. I?m the only cook, and there have been plenty of nights when I?ve called for pizza, served scrambled eggs with toast or made popcorn and declared dinner done. (Yep, the kids loved it. So much so, they relayed the whole buttery story to my mother-in-law the next day. #momguilt.)
But whether dinner is popcorn or homemade pot pies stuffed with organic chicken isn?t really the point. Every time we?re elbow-to-elbow around a table, that counts for something. Connection. Companionship. Threats to stop whining or Mommy will throw away every last Shopkin in this house? Wait. What was I saying" Ah yes, family time! All the experts tell us how good it is for kids to eat together. Kids will have higher test scores, they say. Lower chances of drug abuse, eating disorders and depression. What parent wouldn?t want all that" The only hitch: Family dining ain?t for the faint of heart. Cooking?and parenting through dinner?is hard work.
Food is still love?and maybe more

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