As single parents, meal time can be one of those big challenges at the end of a long day, or even just trying to get something healthy into our kids’ (and ourselves) bodies before we leave the house in the morning. Over the years that I have been a single mom of three, I’ve come up with all sorts of ways to make meal time fun and flexible and suited to a one-adult household (without having to rely on takeout and pre-packaged food). One of our recent developments is something we’ve named “Cheese of the month club”…
Finger foods like appetizers, deli sandwiches, etc. have been a mainstay of our family meals for years. I can put out an array of food and the kids can pick and choose and put together their own meals and we all get to eat together. Now that my kids are a little older, their tastes are becoming more adventuresome and when I decided last year that I was going to learn about different cheeses of the world, my kids were also into it. Now, once a week I stop at the deli and pick out 2 or 3 different cheeses and some fancy bread or crackers. We add in a salad and some fresh fruit and have our “cheese of the month club” meal. Yes, I realize that we aren’t doing it once a month and it really isn’t a club—but we are a family that loves our silly names for things. I also realize that this isn’t an activity that is particularly exclusive to single parent homes, but it has been particularly suited to ours—it is perfect for a busy household where people tend to graze and eat at different times due to active schedules.
I found a small map and got some simple literature on cheese so we actually talk about where the cheese is from and the kids get to share their observations, compare, complain, etc. It’s actually quite fun and for a family with three teenagers, it gives us a way to communicate around the dinner table (or around the coffee table in the living room) without lapsing into something ugly. I only wish I had stumbled across the idea for “cheese of the month club” years ago…
Also: Making Sure Your House is a Home
Single Parent Trick–Get Up Earlier Than Everyone Else