Q: How do you keep 2+ kids occupied/entertained at the Thanksgiving table long enough to eat your own food? Seems like just as I finish serving the kids and finally sit down after having to get up 50 times to refill sippy cups, get new utensils to replace the ones thrown on the floor, etc, the kids are ready to take off. I'd like to sit down all together as a family, but maybe this is just a ridiculous fantasy?
A: Good luck! Depending on the age, this might be hard to do. But here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) If you have family surrounding you for this special day, take advantage and give them kid duty. Make Uncle Joe be in charge of one kid and put Grandma with the baby. Have them play sippy cup fetch with the kids or play another round of Uno. It hasn't grown old for them yet.
2) There should be enough food variety for any picky kid to take some time to explore new flavors and textures at the table. Isn't that why we make 20 dishes for 10 people? They should be busy mashing up potatoes with their fingers in a bowl or rolling some green beans around. Just let them if they are happy and behaved enough so you can eat. (As a side note, just found this cute article about kid-friendly side dishes for Thanksgiving.)
3) Get everyone to the table, put the food on, say your blessings, snap your photo and let it go. If the kids are running around while you eat, have a glass of wine and enjoy the fact that you have extra hands to help you clean up later.
4) Keep in mind it is what it is. Whatever Martha-like Thanksgivings you've had in the past, realize you may not see these again for a very long time. Take the china and crystal away from the 2-year old and explain to your mom again why it's not going to work. If the kids are misbehaving and talking when the grown ups are, remind Grandpa that they are 2 and 3 and there's not much you can do about it. Send your cousin to play with the kids and do dinner in shifts. Heck, that's part of being a family.
Chances are it will never be as bad as you think. It's Thanksgiving. People expect chaos and mess and still feel a sense of fulfillment afterwards. In fact, Thanksgiving may be a metaphor for Baby Bunching.
Have a great holiday!
This is the perfect and informative stuffs !!!the things which u r mentioned are really amazing ...Iam very glad to visit ur blog ...https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&send_id=817789614&email=7cff47bb7cdcb76fbfa15e66c81a1961 let me implement this with my baby too ...Keep up ur good work!!!
Posted by: Innovative and Insight | Nov 25, 2010 at 12:15 AM