Even though Friday is half over, it still calls for a Friday Funday post.

We started calling Friday “Funday” because at Aaron’s school Friday afternoons are reserved for activities that are thought of as traditionally more fun. Of course I’d argue that a good book is the most fun, but hey…what do I know?

To carry the “funday’ theme forward, several months ago we started letting Aaron eat dinner in the family room. With the TV on. I know, I know, just string me up by my ears.

I’m one of those crazy obsessive people who does not allow my child to eat food anywhere except at the kitchen counter or the kitchen table, and there’s NO TV allowed during meals. I grew up participating in nightly family dinners and have incredibly fond memories of those times together. Dinner was often the only chance we had to all sit down together, have an uninterrupted conversation, touch base on what was going on in each other’s lives and explore each other’s thoughts on a variety of things.

My dad worked from 6:00 in the morning until at least 7:30 at night…SEVEN days a week. Sitting down together for dinner was incredibly important for our relationship and I’m certain I learned some of the most valuable life-lessons and values, things that still echo in my mind, from talking with my dad over mom’s shepherd pie, and I’m sure it’s not a surprise that I’ve carried the family dinner tradition into my adult life. It’s just not an option here at Chez Sanders…except on Fridays.

I actually can’t take the blame credit for initiating this little ritual. I was out of town and my husband let Aaron eat dinner in the family room on a Friday night. Our little son was so over-the-moon excited to have what he considers a huge privilege, we decided to make it a weekly routine.  Each Friday as we start making dinner, Aaron gets out a little tray and arranges a placement, napkin, silverware, dishes and even his very own little pepper shaker, and he does it all with great precision and pride. It’s fun to watch and I think this is a tradition we’ll keep. I just can’t resist those great big smiles he gives when we say it’s “Friday Funday!”

What about you? Do you have any family dinner time traditions you love?

I’m also guest posting today over at Life and Times of a WickedStepMom. Head over and say hello if you have a chance.