Take the time to eat together
Author
Published
11/1/2011
We have all heard the experts say that eating meals together as a family is a very good experience for the kids and the parents. However, we are all living extremely busy lives and it is easy to just grab a bite to eat in the car on the way home because it will save time, but have you ever thought about what you might be missing out on if you do this a lot?
Harvest time on the farm is chaotic; especially with little kids. As the wife, you may be running a tractor and auger cart, running after parts, hauling kids around, and also fixing meals to take to the fields.
For me, I am usually keeping things going at home, hauling kids and fixing meals for about 7 guys. So including myself and 2 kids, I am feeding 10 people every other night (my mother in law gives a break). It consumes a lot of time and sometimes I try to get out of it, and tell the guys to buy food in town, but then I realize how my daughter, who is 4, and my son, age 1, are missing out on the most important reason for taking food to the field – family time.
My daughter is excited to see her daddy to tell about her day at preschool and to maybe ride with him and learn all there is to know. As many questions as she asks, I think that she could run the combine! It is a bonus for her when she sees grandpa and Uncle Jordan in the same field so she can talk to them also. My son babbles; “dada, dada” and smiles from ear to ear when he sees his dad and the combines.
This is when I know that having a “picnic” (according to my daughter) is what it is all about. The kids sleep better and all of our moods are brighter when we get the chance to eat together as a family, and at harvest we are just blessed to be able to eat outside in nature’s beauty.
Written by Jennifer Dammann
Like all families today, farmers often find it difficult to find time for a meal together. But even during the busy harvest time, Page County Farm Bureau member Jennifer Dammann has found the joy and the priceless rewards of making the effort and taking the time to eat together as a family.
Harvest time on the farm is chaotic; especially with little kids. As the wife, you may be running a tractor and auger cart, running after parts, hauling kids around, and also fixing meals to take to the fields.
For me, I am usually keeping things going at home, hauling kids and fixing meals for about 7 guys. So including myself and 2 kids, I am feeding 10 people every other night (my mother in law gives a break). It consumes a lot of time and sometimes I try to get out of it, and tell the guys to buy food in town, but then I realize how my daughter, who is 4, and my son, age 1, are missing out on the most important reason for taking food to the field – family time.
My daughter is excited to see her daddy to tell about her day at preschool and to maybe ride with him and learn all there is to know. As many questions as she asks, I think that she could run the combine! It is a bonus for her when she sees grandpa and Uncle Jordan in the same field so she can talk to them also. My son babbles; “dada, dada” and smiles from ear to ear when he sees his dad and the combines.
This is when I know that having a “picnic” (according to my daughter) is what it is all about. The kids sleep better and all of our moods are brighter when we get the chance to eat together as a family, and at harvest we are just blessed to be able to eat outside in nature’s beauty.
Written by Jennifer Dammann
Like all families today, farmers often find it difficult to find time for a meal together. But even during the busy harvest time, Page County Farm Bureau member Jennifer Dammann has found the joy and the priceless rewards of making the effort and taking the time to eat together as a family.