You know the time I am talking about. I have heard it called by various names. Those lovely hours from when nap time ends to when dinner begins. They are so . . . peaceful . . . NOT! I know they are coming. I sneak around without making a sound hoping to stretch those precious quiet minutes. Then they wake and you never know what you will get. One wakes up smiling and hungry, another wakes up crying just because they woke up. And what do you do? Well, I have come up with a few strategies to make those hours more bearable and, dare I say, beautiful. I like beautiful, don't you?
Prep dinner during nap time.
Yes, this takes planning. I sit down and make a plan for what we are eating each night of the week. I try to take into account nights we will be out and days when I will be out of the house a lot. No, we don't follow it down to the letter, but I am not standing in front of a frozen piece of chicken hoping it will turn into a casserole by some miracle of God. When I know what we are having I can get it ready ahead of time. Dinner might need to go into the crock pot. I might need to chop a lot of veggies. I might put together the whole casserole and throw it in the oven right before meal time. It makes for a fun and educational time with Jonah, Huck, and Eli since they don't nap, and I am not chopping, stirring, boiling, and measuring with Benaiah crying between my knees. When all else fails - order pizza. I go by Proverbs 17:1 - Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house filled with feasting and conflict. :D
Be available.
Since dinner is covered spend that time with the people that matter the most - your kiddos! These are not the hours to catch up with your friends on the phone or surf the web for a great vacation spot. You might be in the same room but you are not with them. Take some time to play ball, race cars, rock and cuddle with a book, or go on a walk. It is amazing how the fussing ceases when I sit down in the middle of the floor to play.
Have special toys.
Save a few special toys that are only used during the hours before dinner. We have some magnets that the boys love to use on the refrigerator and dish washer while I am polishing off dinner prep. I can keep an eye on the boys, the magnets are novel and even educational. Other choices are puppets, set up the indoor tent, or pom-poms. Don't do anything that is going to make a huge mess, like play dough. Remember you will be cleaning up soon to eat.
Save the TV
The TV only gets turned on during special times at our house. When I need a shower, we have a rainy day, or we have an emergency come up and I need some quiet to be on the phone I will turn on the TV. Because we seldom use it the boys are glued to the screen. If I have a meal that can't be prepped beforehand and I need to have them occupied I don't feel guilty using the TV.
Snack Attack
My boys are always hungry. The second I step into the kitchen they expect food! So, I make sure to give them a healthy snack far enough from dinner that they are still interested in dinner but not too early that they are starved again while I am cooking. Another strategy is the veggie tray. While I am cooking I make a plate of raw veggies for the kiddos to snack on. They go ahead and get those veggies out of the way and since they are hungry they inhale them! Makes Mommy happy! Sometimes I give them a fun dip or cut the veggies in fun shapes!
I hope these tips help you survive and thrive during the pre-dinner hours no matter which side of the bed they wake up on!
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