Don’t Mess With My Mondays

As my kids get older, it gets harder and harder to find time to carve for family night.

Growing up, I remember having nightly meals together, and it’s been an important tradition to carry onto the generation I’m raising. But with all three of the kiddos now enrolled in various activities, we’re finding it harder to have our schedules coincide.

My solution? To black out one night of the week that belongs solely to our group of five. One night where we say no to everything else, no matter how wonderful that something else seems.

Right now that night is Monday. Tuesday we have one in dance and another in t-ball. Wednesday, both girls dance and my son has Awana. Thursday is a repeat of Tuesday. Friday, there’s always something. Saturday morning – dance and t-ball yet again. Sunday, there’s church and often family/friend get togethers.

But Mondays – don’t mess with my Mondays.

I’ve had to say no to leadership opportunities, a group for my oldest that would’ve been a great time of growth for her, nights out with friends. For me, it’s important to protect that time of togetherness – it’s a night when we eat at a decent hour instead of waiting until everyone is home at 7:45. We snuggle on the couch and we catch up – on conversations, on our favorite shows, on life in general.

Next year, our schedules could be thrown for a loop. Mondays might not be our time. But I will fight my hardest to find one night a week that’s just for us. Because these little ones are growing up fast, and I don’t want their only memory of Mom and Dad to be the backs of our heads as we schlep them around town.

Do you have a night reserved for family night?