Week Two of 100 Family Dinners: Breaking Old Habits & Finding New Joys

Alright, week two is in the books, and I’ll be honest—this one felt harder. Life got busy. Appointments, activities, late nights… you know the drill. But despite the chaos, I managed five meals with the kids—including a Saturday breakfast and a Sunday lunch! (8 meals this year do far) And here’s something unexpected:

I didn’t realize how much these sit-down meals had already started becoming a thing in our house.

When TV Dinners Sneak In

On Wednesday, I had a meal planned, but by the time we got home, we were exhausted, freezing, and just done. So, I caved. We had dinner in front of the TV. And you know what? My 16-year-old loved it. Which made me realize… I’d been using TV as a crutch for a while now. Some nights, sitting at the table and finding meaningful things to talk about just feels like too much.

I’m not saying I’m cutting out TV dinners entirely (because let’s be real, some days require survival mode), but I do want to be more intentional.

What We Ate This Week

• Monday: Chicken Alfredo – A rare treat because I don’t love it, but my kids do.

• Tuesday: Tacos – Classic. Easy. But my daughter basically just eats the taco shell. (Insert dramatic mom eye-roll.)

• Wednesday - Friday: No sit-down meals. This was when I realized how much my kids actually liked TV dinner nights.

By Saturday, I knew we needed a reset.

The Power of a Saturday Breakfast

I switched things up and made their favorite breakfast and we sat down together. The kids were shocked—because honestly, I couldn’t remember the last time we had a slow, sit-down breakfast together that wasn’t a holiday or while we were on a trip.

It was simple but perfect. They got up late (because: teens), and instead of everyone scattering in different directions, we started the day together. A little food, a little downtime, a few chores—it set the tone for a really good weekend.

Sunday Roast & Conversation Starters

On Sunday, I channeled my roots and made a Sunday roast—something I usually reserve for holidays (why do I do that?). The kids weren’t exactly thrilled to sit down at first, but I had a reserve to get the conversation started: discussion cards.

I pulled out the You Know conversation starter game, and suddenly, we were talking. The question that got them going?

👉 Would you rather add 10 years to your life or give 1 year to someone else?

That one sparked a real discussion. (What would you do?!)

Breaking Old Routines & Building New Ones

This week reminded me how easy it is to fall into habits that don’t serve us—like defaulting to TV dinners. But it also showed me how small changes, like a weekend breakfast or a trivia question, can shift the vibe in a really good way.

I don’t expect every dinner to be magical, but I do hope that this becomes the routine my kids remember.

How are you connecting with your kids this week? Let’s talk in the comments!

This keeps the same casual, millennial-mom tone while making it a little more structured and engaging. Let me know if you want any tweaks! 😊🍽️