A Family Affair

Entertaining can be a process that can take hours and hours of preparation and be over in the blink of an eye. I firmly believe that entertaining does not need to be the responsibility of just one person. Contributions can and should come from each member of your family from the smallest to the tallest. Here are five easy tips on how to make entertaining fun again!

1. Make it fun! Ask the members of your family least likely to participate in the kitchen to choose their music to play while dinner is being prepared. Watch the music draw them in. Even if your teen’s contribution is his or her company, it’s a step in the right direction. Allow the conversation to flow!

2. Many hands make light work! Delegate simple, enjoyable jobs to each person based on their strengths. Everyone can help! Children as young as 3 can use a butter knife to chop celery. It is more important for the experience to be enjoyed than for the celery to be even. If they enjoy it they will eat it, all while they naturally learn the correct way to do their assigned task.

3. Create a welcoming environment! Make the kitchen the central point of your home. We all know that every great party happens in the kitchen! Encourage the smaller members of your family to be an active part of this by setting the table. Don’t be afraid to swap out decor as often as possible. A Lego themed table is okay every now and then! Your table needs to reflect the people in your home.

4. Encourage pride in ownership! Allow every member of the family, from the smallest to the biggest, to contribute to the menu and theme of the event. One year, my daughter chose to have a pancake and pajama party. Everyone wore their favorite jammie’s…from her grandparents all the way down to her big brother. Peanut (our faithful family dog) was outfitted for the occasion in his favorite robe! The duck on the pocket made him a debonair ducks-haund and made for a memorable night full of treasured memories for the whole family.

5. Be an encouragement! Use this these moments as a time to strengthen the bonds with each of your family members. Find what each person is doing right. Praise that step! The rest will naturally fall into place, as the desire to succeed and receive the praise for a job well done is inherent.

Faith, Food and Family bring people together!

Have faith in your team. Make great food. Enjoy your family.

Until we eat again,

Michelle