Week One: Make it easier.

Dinnertime is rarely easy, but when you’re a one-parent household, it can be even more challenging. Here are some tried and true ideas to make it more manageable:

Employ the troops!

Get the whole family involved! Cooking together can be a fun activity that allows you to connect with your kids. Even very young children can stir a pot, crumble the cheese, set the timer, measure ingredients, pick leafy green vegetables off their stems, crack an egg, or whisk something. They can also help set and clear the table. And older kids can make a meal once or twice a week, or create a dinner music playlist, which can also be a great conversation starter!

Set manageable goals.

If you don’t currently have a family dinner ritual, start small. One night a week, gather everyone to sit down together. If you can’t get everyone together at the same time for dinner, make it breakfast or dessert instead. Be flexible! And be kind to yourself. Remember: the good enough dinner is good enough.

Keep cooking simple.

Choose recipes with few and easily available ingredients. On our website, you’ll find recipes that are easy to make and require about eight ingredients or less. And bonus—they each come with a dinner game idea and a conversation starter!

Week Two: Make it fun.

Games are a great way to lighten the mood at the table and get kids to stay seated longer! Try two truths and a tall tale the next time your kids get antsy. Ask everyone at the table to say three things about themselves: two true things and one thing that’s made up. The rest of the table will guess which is the tall tale.

See more fun ideas »

Week Three: Make it meaningful.

It’s always good to check in with your kids to see how they are doing, particularly during times of transition. Here are tips to keep in mind when trying to connect with your kids at the dinner table—or anywhere:

Demonstrate empathy.

Listen, make eye contact, and don’t offer advice or get defensive. Remember that it’s not about having the perfect thing to say, but listening without distraction and acknowledging rather than dismissing feelings. Ask questions that you don’t know the answer to, such as “can you say more about that?”

Provide reassurance.

Sometimes you simply don’t have the answer to a question your child asks. Admit that you don’t know, and tell them you will try to find out. If your child is struggling, reassure them that while it’s not easy, she will be ok. Physical closeness including hugs, high fives and pats on the back are good medicine, too.

Try playfulness instead.

Sometimes it’s better to let conversation emerge naturally while playing a game, taking a walk or cooking together, rather than sitting down face to face. Younger kids may respond better to play, so break out the stuffed animals or the art supplies. You may be surprised at the results.

Check out our wealth of conversation starters »

Week Four: Make it Memorable.

Try creating a personal history timeline. This is something your child can do before or after dinner that is not only fun, but can help alleviate worry. Have your child make a long horizontal line on a big piece of paper. Start with a star, for their birth, and then have them mark key events that have happened to them in their lives so far, followed by events they hope will happen in the future. This exercise helps to a) put current events in perspective and b) open up opportunities for reflection on the good and bad things your child has experienced so far. It also serves as a reminder: this too shall pass.