My husband’s office recently moved to a 7:30 to 5:30 schedule–which has really changed how our “family dinners” get executed. Because now, with getting him home later–he hits more traffic and the result is that we don’t get our family dinners like we used to. Crazy how that 30 minutes has really changed our lives. So, we needed a new way to be together and create those family bonds. So, this is How to Start a New Family Tradition: Saturday Morning Breakfast–how we’re bringing family back around the table (at least once a week).
How to Start a New Family Tradition: Saturday Morning Breakfast
- Free-up your Saturday Mornings. This is critical. Don’t plan on running errands or getting the dog washed. Seriously. Be efficient with that precious time. For me, this meant a great deal. I needed that time–I needed to slow down and just have a few minutes with my family on the weekends (because they shouldn’t be so hectic with errands and shopping that it’s more busy than weekdays!). Hint: If you do your shopping with Google Express, it IS possible to free-up your Saturdays.
- Set Breakfast Table “Rules”. This is easy enough–but, like any “special” family meal, just tell the kids (and yourself) that there aren’t going to be electronics at the table. Or rushing off to a friend’s house the second they finish eating. Some of our rules for Saturday Morning Breakfast with the Family are:
- No electronics.
- No other activities until the dishes are done.
- Everyone is up by 9am.
- Everyone sits at the table, unless they’re sick.
- Cook Something Slow and Awesome. Try something never-before-seen in your house, like Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls or Banana-Chocolate French Toast. Anything to make this meal “special” for the family–I even made Orange Marmalade French Toast Pancakes this last Saturday…it was amazing. If you’re running out of ideas, you can check out my Ultimate Guide to Breakfast. You won’t be disappointed.
- Ask for Help. Getting the whole family involved in the making of breakfast, setting the table and then cleaning-up afterward is just part of being a–well, family. And doing those things together will help them bond and learn valuable life skills (like working as a team and cleaning-up after themselves).
How Did I Get The Free Time to Do Saturday Morning Breakfast?
My biggest trick: Google Express. I was able to reduce the number of shopping trips I make (over and over and over again…) just by going to one website, typing in the items I needed (this time it was bubble-tea water beads, toilet paper, shampoo, some chips for my son and a billion paper towels) from my favorite stores (Target, Costco, Walgreens, Whole Foods–just a lot of places I would have driven too, but not now….LOL!). Then selecting how fast I needed it shipped (same-day, overnight or 2-day–I just had so many options, it was awesome). It’s just a super-simple way to make a TON of time for myself, my family (no more dragging them around on errands all day Saturday), and my sanity. LOL!
Plus, it was just about the most easy ordering process. Literally, just a sign-in, type what I needed, then check-out and tell them my shipping needs…and I hit 4 stores. IN. MY. PAJAMAS. Heh.
Talk about awesome (and about a thousand times more fun than shopping with all my monsters in tow).
I’d love it if we could ALL get the free time to do a family tradition of Saturday Morning Breakfast…but you’ll need to free up your time to do that, too.
And, if you’re all about the Google Express, be sure to share this post, or a pic of what you’ve done with your new free Saturday. You can pin it, share it on Facebook, whatever, just be sure to let your friends know–because that’s just awesome of you.
