(illustration by Laurie Sandell) Rule 1: If you have a kid under 3, don't bother. Tending to a toddler at the table -- his milk spilling, his food dropping, his inability to articulate how multidimensional your marinara is -- it all takes its toll on the rest of the diners's satisfaction, especially the cook's. You won't be able to concentrate on any kind of conversation or enjoy what you just spent some time preparing, let alone be able to savor your family's only unplugged moment of the day. You will in fact, only be setting yourself up for failure, potentially triggering a spiral into dark places of self-hatred. That can be hard to recover from.
How to Have Family Dinner: Six Rules
How to Have Family Dinner: Six Rules
How to Have Family Dinner: Six Rules
(illustration by Laurie Sandell) Rule 1: If you have a kid under 3, don't bother. Tending to a toddler at the table -- his milk spilling, his food dropping, his inability to articulate how multidimensional your marinara is -- it all takes its toll on the rest of the diners's satisfaction, especially the cook's. You won't be able to concentrate on any kind of conversation or enjoy what you just spent some time preparing, let alone be able to savor your family's only unplugged moment of the day. You will in fact, only be setting yourself up for failure, potentially triggering a spiral into dark places of self-hatred. That can be hard to recover from.