Helping propel moms & dads of 3 to 13 year-olds to invest in their power-decade of parenting. Father of 3 teenagers and pastor of 20 years turned digital writer.
Family Friday: 9 Reasons To Visit School Lunch
A Single Sentence from a Season AheadHighest LeverageIf you had 45 minutes to sit across the lunch table with anyone today, who would you choose?
I have found there is something special about Friday lunch plans. It's the hinge between our weekly rhythm and weekend plans. There is a different spirit and air about Friday lunch. When our kids were in elementary school, my wife and I decided we were going to go all in on Friday lunch with our kids. It was a way to slingshot our time together as a family over the weekend. I had the privilege of working a 1/2 day most Fridays when our kids were in that season and we made frequent visits to their school for lunch. We'd make a sheet of bagel bites, grab some grapes, and show up with it in our basket. I recognize that not all parents can do this. If you can though, I believe if you show up semi-often, you'll understand why it's such a significant family building opportunity. Sure it involves sticky floors and lots of noise but it could be your highest leverage lunch all week. I use that word on purpose. To have leverage means that you get outsized results from the effort you put forth. Consider this... 45 minutes spent in your child's school lunchroom has an amazing amount of built-in leverage for you as a parent. 9 Reasons We Visited School Lunches
Frequent school lunch with your kids isn't for everyone. I remember an older dad suggested it to me when I was in your stage of family and I'm so thankful he did. We tried it and eventually adopted it as a value and habit for our home. Yes it is awkward and you'll get plenty of strange looks, but the payoff is huge! It became a tradition for us to eat lunch with our kids most Family Fridays and to this day I've never regretted it one time. In fact, I may need to go buy my college kids lunch right now, for old-time's sake. See you next Friday - Finley PS. When you read an email that connects with your family or season, would you mind forwarding it to a few friends who are also in their power-decade of parenting? I'd love to continue to share these short stories and lessons we learned with other parents like yourself. Thanks! |
Power-Decade Parenting
Helping propel moms & dads of 3 to 13 year-olds to invest in their power-decade of parenting. Father of 3 teenagers and pastor of 20 years turned digital writer.
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2 min read Season: The Full Fall (6 of 12) Normal My father was a Pediatrician for 38 years. I did the math and by himself, he had over 350,000 sick and well-child appointments in his clinic over the years. Not to mention his other partners, who combined, have seen everything you could imagine. Growing up as the son of a Pediatrician had its big perks (and some decent downsides too). By far the greatest benefit though is having a dad who could help take care of his...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3 min read Season: The Full Fall (5 of 12) No More Scale How often do you feel guilt as a parent? Somedays I wonder if parents in the 1950s felt guilt in a similar way as parents today or if it's a more modern feeling. They probably did, but still, I wonder. More than any other stage, when you're in the power-decade of parenting, the impulse to compare is unstoppable. For instance ... Do you look at your screen time and compare it to the amount of time you spend...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3 min read Season: The Full Fall (4 of 12) A Proven Recipe There is nothing families love more than a proven recipe. A dish that has stood the test of time, fed hundreds if not thousands of people, and passes down because it's that good. Do you have recipes like that? Something I learned early on, during the newborn stage when people kept bringing food to our house, was that I needed to collect these recipes. When I would follow up with a thank you text for the food...