Family dinner time not happening? Try this instead!

by Sarah Robsdottir

Between sports' practices and a million other obstacles (one spouse working late, teens at evening jobs, sleep-away camp, community and church events), it hit me recently that my entire family had not sat down for a meal together in weeks. Our evening prayer time had taken a huge hit as well.

So at 8pm the other night, I set a pan of hot brownies on the table, along with a gallon of milk and a handful of rosaries.

"Dessert time!" I yelled, which brought my husband and seven sons thundering down the stairs much more quickly than usual. They followed the smell of a freshly baked dessert, stepping into the kitchen with looks of curiosity and words of appreciation: "Yes! Thanks Mom! I thought I smelled brownies!" There were wide smiles all around -- even from the teenagers.

We sat down to a table full of colorful snacks too -- a bowl of pretzels, freshly baked bread and a fruit salad (because I knew the brownies would be gone in two seconds). My oldest son promptly grabbed the whipped cream, tilted his head back and filled his gaping mouth straight from the aerosol can -- something I never buy. This precious boy is going away to college for the first time this fall. So maybe that's why I didn't correct him, or his brothers when they all did the same thing. Because for once, we were all sitting down at the table together.

One doesn't have to look far to find the importance of sharing a meal as a family. Communal eating is one of the most important human traditions in every culture all over the world. Countless studies reiterate what we already know intuitively, proving the practice to be incredibly beneficial to a person's physical and mental health, communication skills, and overall success in life. As Catholics, our highest form of prayer -- the Mass itself -- is a spiritual banquet, one where through the breaking of bread and the sharing of wine, we feast on Christ himself.

But what's a mother to do when her teens are at work, the younger kids are starving for an actual meal at 4pm and Dad won't be home until 6:30? Oh yeah -- I should mention those younger kids have been swimming all afternoon. They're hangry, so another snack won't cut it.

Enter the 20-Minute Family Dessert/ Prayer Time at 8pm! Go ahead, let everyone eat dinner separately if life's obligations demand it. But gather together before the day is done in some other way, and make it special.

Ever since that first experience with hot brownies a few weeks ago, my gang has made "dessert time" an almost nightly ritual. Even my typically quiet, unenthused teenagers are more apt to offer news about their day over a plate of hot cookies than they would otherwise. And when we read Scripture aloud afterward, then pick up our rosaries to offer at least one decade together, everyone's fed, focused and ready to pray.