8 // Wonder how to keep Family Dinner intentional when busy hits?
Wonder how to keep Family Dinner intentional when busy hits?
Get these rhythms and routines from the toddler through the teen years [an INTERVIEW with Jennifer Zumbiel of Togather Moments]
Do you feel like it is a struggle just to wrangle your toddlers (or teens!) for family meals? If so, Jennifer Zumbiel can relate.
Jennifer has a Bachelor's in Business Administration Marketing from the University of Kentucky and a Master's in Secondary Education from Xavier University. She is the creator and owner of Togather Moments LLC, Togather™ conversation sticker games/tools, and the host of The Families That Stick Togather Podcast.
As a mother of four and a wife of 18 years, she understands how everyday distractions can impact face-to-face communication and threaten the strength of our relationships. She has found a way to help us all to gather with easy meaningful, and fun communication in real-life in the small moments we already have. The mission of Togather™ is to protect the strength of communication within families so that we can protect the strength of the Family the way God intended.
Jennifer has been in the trenches of just trying to get dinner made to now making sure her whole family can find a time to all eat together (amidst afterschool sports and activities). And although her challenges have changed, Jennifer opens up about how she made small yet intentional moments happen in the early years to set her and her family up for the teen years.
With thought-provoking conversation starters your kids can literally peel and stick, Jennifer gives busy moms the ideas we need for becoming more intentional around the table. Plus, Jennifer shares some thoughts on how to incorporate rhythms and routines around the table, like saying grace. So for the mamas who have asked me, "How do we start praying together as a family before a meal," I know this episode hitting on Ash Wednesday is going to be particularly helpful to you.
Listen to this episode of The Veggies & Virtue Podcast now!
Full Episode Transcription
Please note this a raw transcription. If something doesn’t read correctly, toggle to that timestamp in the show so that you can listen in on what was actually being said!
[00:00:00] Hey mamas today. I'm excited to have our first guest on the veggies and virtue podcast. My sweet friend, Jennifer, from together moments and the families that stick together podcast. She and I have recently connected in a podcast mastermind that we're in. And I feel like the Lord has just really crossed our paths to give us an opportunity to get to know, you know, And to grow together professionally as well as personally.
[00:00:22] And as soon as I heard about together moments and started listening to Jennifer on her podcast, I just knew that she was someone I wanted to have as a guest on the show. She shares so much valuable insight as a mom of four, that has a very practical understanding on how busy life can be. Especially as our kids continue to get older and more involved in other activities.
[00:00:41] And it had to still be really intentional about growing the communication in our family, their relationship. And making the most of that time around the table together. So we're going to jump in for an interview. It's a little longer episode than normal, but positive. You have to come back to finish because especially as we kick off the Easter season, I know that [00:01:00] you're going to want to listen.
[00:01:04] Hey mama, I'm Ashley, and welcome to the veggies. And for two weeks, And this podcast, you will find simple menu ideas, kitchen, organizational systems, spelled out for mom life and feeding tips and tricks that are both evidence-based and grace placed. I believe that you can find flexibility when it comes to feeding your family so that you can feel calm, capable, and connected in the kitchen as a registered dietician and Christian mom of three myself, and want you to break free from the mealtime battles and to feel equipped while feeding your kids all day long, pull up a stool at my kitchen counter.
[00:01:33] And let me pour you a cup of coffee and say a quick prayer. It's time to chat about the mealtime messes moments in ministry of motherhood.
[00:01:44] Jennifer, thank you so much for being on the podcast. I am so excited to have you here and to get to chat with you and hear more about all the wonderful resources that you offer families. But I'm just really excited because you know, the Lord has brought us together through this podcast in group this [00:02:00] winter, and I feel.
[00:02:01] So much of our stories and our passions and our businesses just really align. And I know that you're going to offer a lot of value and a lot of really helpful tips to my community here today. So thank you so much for being on thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here and I feel the same about you and what you can offer to my community as well.
[00:02:21] Yeah. So let's go ahead and dive in. I would love for you to tell the moms listening just a little bit about yourself and your background. I know that you have. Four kids and are living a busy life, married your high school, sweetheart, I believe. So tell us a little bit about you and also your family and kind of how you came to grow this together business.
[00:02:40] Yes. So I am married to my high school sweetheart. We live in Northern psyche where we were both born in. And we have four children currently ages six through 14, which is kindergarten through freshmen in high school. And we are very, very busy. It gets people think [00:03:00] it's gonna, you know, when is the busy going to slip up?
[00:03:02] It's not, it gets busier and busier, which is why I started this business together. So the back up in, gosh, it was like the spring of 2016 and I won't give you all the details, but we got a back up because I remember sitting at a restaurant and it was after church, Monday on a Sunday and we were sitting outside.
[00:03:25] My oldest was while she was just about eight, I guess. And my youngest was an infant and we were sitting here and I look around, everybody was distracted by something. They were looking at their phone, they were just talking an adult conversation, ignoring children, and you know how that gets. So I remember leaving that restaurant and I said to him, There has got to be a better way.
[00:03:52] This is so crazy. I don't want to raise our kids in a world where face-to-face communication is failing and our lives are only going to get busier and [00:04:00] busier. I could see that on the horizon so fast forward, and God had just laid this on my heart that something had to be done. And this was something that just grew in my heart over the next couple years.
[00:04:14] And I realized that. If families are going to stay strong, their communication has got to stay strong. Now I definitely think faith has got to be huge foundation, but also right after that in today's world is a stone foundation of communication. Because if that starts to break down in a family, that the family itself is going to really start to break down.
[00:04:38] And I knew that we, we were doing a really good job at that. I was at high school teacher. And I wasn't teaching at the time, but I taught high school history. And if you can get a bunch of high school kids to open up about social studies in us, history and government, then you know how to get people to open up and talk.
[00:04:59] Right. [00:05:00] So I knew that the answer lied in family dinner because that is the one place in our home that we all. To gather together. And it is just begging us to sit around and talk so long story short to gather her family generous, born as conversation stickers, to help them win needs, to get past one word answers and really dig deep in the small moments.
[00:05:29] And that was launched in may of 2018. And it has since grown to together for family are together for date night or advent, you serve placemats. Around the table and a podcast. And really, I just, I have a heart for helping families to gather and there's small moments and really make those meaningful, because like I said, our busy lives are only getting easier.
[00:05:55] And if we can really capitalize on the small moments and keep our families. Now, [00:06:00] I love that. I think that it's just, it's so inspiring to that. You. Took that moment to pause, because I think all of us have found ourselves at a restaurant, you know, looking around and especially all of us, you came from a generation where cell phones were not a part of were never a part of our family table growing up that we're navigating some new territory of how do we do this intentionally and how do we create for our families?
[00:06:23] Probably a lot of the things that we cherished of our own upbringing in our own family of origin, and now bring that into our family table now. And so I just love. That you had the heart to put the work in for so many of us that aren't sure how to, and that you've created these resources that so many families can now use to start being more intentional with that time without having to kind of reinvent the wheel themselves.
[00:06:48] Yeah. I, I think reinvent the wheel is like the biggest thing. There, we are also busy when people have figured out a way to help, whether it's with family nutrition or. [00:07:00] These ideas to help you get your teenager to open up or whatever. I think we, moms need to really reach out to one another and help each other.
[00:07:08] Whether you know, it doesn't have to be just to make a product, but it's such an important point that we, we really need that as moms to rely on each other and help each other with what works for our family. Jennifer. I love that because I think you go before I know speaking for myself and a lot of the other moms who are probably listening you go before us in helping us understand that life isn't going to get less busy.
[00:07:33] And yet, you know, we don't necessarily want to have to participate in this. You know, hamster wheel hurry of, you know, rushing through mealtimes and things like that. But I would love to hear a little bit more of, you know, kind of what your story since 2018 has been, because obviously your kids were at different ages and stages then, and, you know, I'm sure involved in different activities and, you know, needing different things from you then than they do now.
[00:07:58] But walk us through kind of what the [00:08:00] evolution of. To gather has looked like, and the conversation starters and you know, any bit of this that you want to share from, you know, kind of how you came up with these things yourself that I'm sure you've used in your own home, but then also what's the evolution looked like.
[00:08:14] And how do you use them now with you having teenagers who I'm sure, you know, even busier than, you know, us with littles already. Gosh. Yes. When I started this whole idea, I told you my youngest was eight and we started doing a little prototype and then launched when she was on this 10 or 10, I guess. But we are now in a point where my oldest is high school and she is playing sports for high school.
[00:08:43] So you have practice or games five days a week, sometimes. And I have another one who dances a lot. She has a studio at least four nights a week. And then, you know, we're running around with everybody else. So I guess the evolution that [00:09:00] I would want people to know if they follow together moments or you want to understand how this worked for our family would be like that.
[00:09:12] We committed to a way in our life that we were going to make a priority, which was strong communication. And. The way we do that is we use different techniques in all the small moments, the car, right? The front porch setting, the taking little walks, the plane being together, the sitting on a bed right before bedtime, Neil's time in particular, the car rides, whatever, but we committed to this being a strong practice so that it's natural in our family.
[00:09:49] It's natural. For our children to know that mom's going to dig deeper. If they offer something up, that they are expected to have really good [00:10:00] listening skills and ask open-ended questions and use eye contact and do all these things. So, as I say that the idea would be, let's say you use the demo being at your home.
[00:10:13] You're getting a game book that has 105 stickers in that you choose a category. And you feel a sticker and one had a boy's called humble pie. One sticker. There might be name of risk. I took that made me proud. And so you get to share that at the table and you get to talk about something that really mattered to you and your siblings get to.
[00:10:41] And your parents get to hear it and you get to feel loved in that moment and you get to feel respected. And so this is a habit that you start at the table, and then there's a whole category on complimenting one another and there's light hurting habit categories. Like it takes the longest to tell the shortest [00:11:00] story.
[00:11:00] And that's a funny one because everyone has their child, but it takes longer to tell the shortest story. But I say these because. The idea would be that you don't need to grab your together stickers every night for seven years in a row. It's that you start this foundation that leads to everyone knowing how to have this communication so that when you only have 10 minutes on the car ride, You make it completely about quality and not quantity because this has just become your way of life.
[00:11:34] Does that make sense? Does that answer whatever the absolutely does? And I think. You know, I think something that's really neat is I think, you know, I just got to meet you as of January of this year. You know, I think it would be really easy for me to look at you with the ages and stages your family's ad and, you know, listen to your podcasts and think like, man, you were just doing this, right.
[00:11:55] Like I just really admire the way that you're approaching family [00:12:00] time and these intentional conversations and communications. And yet I can, you know, I'm, I'm comparing it to kind of like, not the end goal. Cause obviously you're still in process. I'm on a journey too, but I can kind of relate it to how synonyms, you know, when I meet a family, they're, they're meeting me where I'm at right now and comparing their starting place to that.
[00:12:18] And it's like, this is, this is eight years in process. You know, this is us committing to it every day to this big picture of long-term vision. And so I see a lot of similarities between what you're speaking of and obviously my world of feeding and how none of these things are quick fixes. You know, we would love for these great relationships with our kids to just blossom overnight.
[00:12:40] And by the time you have a kid, but he's a freshman in high school. They just open up to you. Like every parent I'm sure, you know, with the high school or would love for that to just be something they could snap their fingers and create. But I think for families, particularly families, really with kids of any agent's stage, but especially the ages and stages that most of the families probably listening to my podcasts are at [00:13:00] to see that, you know, we can start cultivating these relationships, cultivating these communication skills, utilizing that time that we're already at the table right now.
[00:13:10] So that, you know, we're just continuing to build and, you know, I'm huge on the feeding foundation. And I think so much of that. What is our environment. I think at the age that a lot of moms are probably listening. They're kind of, it's still not like I'm biting my tongue, trying not to tell my kid to eat something phase.
[00:13:27] And so I love that your conversation starters, give him something else to focus on and give their kids something else to think about and talk about. And it, it helps, you know, I, I give a lot of scripts to families to use in kind of replacement of maybe what they would feel inclined to say. But that's really like practical and tactical where I think what you're giving them is really the tools to start building that family time at the table, enjoying that time around the table, which I think is something so many families miss, you know, it's just eat and be done with it.
[00:13:57] And what you're doing is really seizing that [00:14:00] opportunity. That then translates in a way that they seize that opportunity and all those other small moments. So it totally makes sense. And I appreciate you sharing some of that and how it relates to your journey as a mom and with your family, because. It's encouraging to know that, you know, you had to start somewhere too, and it's helped you cultivate where your family is that now.
[00:14:19] Yeah. And I will say, you know, we don't have it. Perfect. We do have crazy days where people don't get along. And we all say words that we wish we could take back or whatever. But the point is what every family strives for in every area is. Having that basic practice that you go back to over and over and over that, you know, will ground you again.
[00:14:46] Right? Our might symbol is a green heart and purchase again, it looks like a heart and university together, but it's green because if you ever look at a Bush or a tree branch or anything, and you think that [00:15:00] it's dead, if you have the twig. For the branch and you see a green heart in the middle, it will survive.
[00:15:07] It will come back. And in the same way, if our families ever go through tough times, hard struggle. Ups and downs Hills and valleys. How are you going to say it? But you keep that solid foundation of education and you have this skills to always go back to then, you know, your family will stay strong if it will survive.
[00:15:30] I love that. And I've, I've seen your logo obviously multiple times now, especially with us being in this. And I didn't know that that was the symbolism to that. So I, I love that. I love a great logo that has, you know, kind of the hidden meaning behind it. So I appreciate you sharing that with us. Cause I think, you know, it's a helpful reminder for all of us, especially because.
[00:15:48] So many of us do go through seasons, you know, and we can look at just the shortcomings and not see, you know, what are we investing in that will withstand whatever this season is and everything. So I [00:16:00] love that. I would love to know a little bit more knowing that when you started this company versus where you're at now, how do you, you know, now I know you, you already know a lot of things that you share with the rest of us and a lot of your great resources for moms like me.
[00:16:15] That I need, you know, you maybe don't need as much. I mean, I don't know that your kids are still pulling out stickers at the table kind of thing, but walk us through, like, what does your family table look like these days? You know, you have kids who are, I don't know. Do you even get all get together for a family dinner anymore?
[00:16:29] Or are you relying on the other pockets of time instead? Or like, what is, what is kind of that family table look like for you guys in this current season? Where. So it can be chaotic. And I will say we never eat seven nights a week together. We won't even do that in the summertime. Those days are long gone, which is sad, but it's okay because you know, every chapter brings its its good thing.
[00:16:54] So a typical week for us is running like crazy around him time [00:17:00] because honestly that's when our kids have their activities, their practices, the things. What I do at the beginning of the week is I have a dry erase calendar board that is just for a week at a time. And I write down where everyone has to be everyone's color coded, and it says what time everybody's gone.
[00:17:20] And I will find our gaps and I will write in black marker. No one has black except Derrick. And it says dinner five 15, and I write what it is or whatever. And that may only be a 30 minute window where all six of us are in the house together, but we know that that is where we're sitting together to eat.
[00:17:41] So that's the technique we use to let everyone now that what time they have to be at dinner. And we don't compromise on that. Now there's some times where we might have to. If someone has to stay at a practice longer or something like that, but we really try to stick to [00:18:00] that and that worries to come home or whatever.
[00:18:02] So that's how we schedule when dinner will happen. And if it's only one night out of the five days of the week, so that's what it is. I mean, then we know that we're going to make it super quality that night while the. So, what does the dinner table look like for us? Well, I will say that one thing that it has always been since, I don't know, probably when our kids were little, we had more things out on our table.
[00:18:29] Cause maybe they do play down there or something, but I really started changing that when. That was not a good tactic. And we had to make sure our family dinners, tables really a solid, sacred place. I mean, this is the one had a list in our home that brings our family together. It's shaped in a way where we all have to sit and look at each other, so we need to keep it inviting you.
[00:18:51] So ours is always freaking clutter. If there's anybody doing homework there or something it's gone and we typically don't do it there. And [00:19:00] one thing that helps us is there's always a tablecloth. And that makes it look pretty. It's just this vinyl likable tablecloth nothing fancy, but that keeps it just inviting and.
[00:19:15] When you sit there, there's athlete and there's Springs. I mean, there's never screen unless honestly, like I'm taking a picture for social media, which sounds so ridiculous. But sometimes I have to do that if we're in the middle of it together question, but we have a no screen rule. Children know they don't get up till we all get up, but sometimes we're running a practice.
[00:19:35] So. Everybody's jumping up to leave and run somebody somewhere, but we have that focus time and we have these rules that are an expectation there. One thing that we do when I know that we well, we just do this all the time, but we'll especially make sure it happens. Really deliberately. If, if we know our dinner time has been cut short for that week is we'll have brunch after [00:20:00] church on Sunday.
[00:20:01] And we usually almost always have it, but if it's, sometimes it's like grabbing the go or whatever, because kids are playing outside. But if we haven't had some solid theme of dinners that week, we always make Sunday brunch right after church. I love that. And I, I mean, I am so impressed with how intentional you are about, I really want it to, I'm going to ask you when we got off of it's to send me a picture of your whiteboard, because I really appreciate a good color coated like whiteboard.
[00:20:31] And if it includes a meal plan, that is a hundred percent my jam. So I'm excited to see a picture of that. So I love that. You've cultivated this relationship that now everyone honors that time. And I can only assume with teenagers, for everyone to still be committed to this screen-free environment at a table.
[00:20:51] You know, I don't have teenagers, but I think it's easy to think about having teenagers and thinking that they're going to show up at the table and it could be this like awkward season of life where maybe they don't want to talk to [00:21:00] mom and dad and things. So talk to us about how. We do get started with those conversations and setting up that communication within our family, because you are a pro at this, and you worked really hard at this and you provide us all with the awesome resources to do that, but maybe walk a mom through how in the earlier years they can start building those communication skills early on so that as their kids get older and maybe communication gets a little more challenging in the teen years and things like that, the family really does have that solid foundation.
[00:21:31] So the first thing I would say is, you know, ask yourself, okay, what are my goals for family dinner? What are my goals for family dinner this week? But what are they two years from now, five years from now, 10 years from now, what do I want family to be dinner, to be like at our home? And I would guess that most of you want all of us want kids to be a positive experience.
[00:21:57] We can think back to our. [00:22:00] You know, childhood and are like maybe a night out, we have a friends or whatever in a lot of it, all those good moments take place around a dinner table. And so the first thing I would say is be so aware of keeping your dinner to people positive. The conversation has got to be positive.
[00:22:23] There, there is a time and place for talking about chores and homework. And you know, different things that you have problems with in your family. I do not think it needs to happen over a family meal. Wait until the family meals over and go sit on your couch. Don't do it at the table because our tables should be synonymous with a place to gather and love and inviting and happy because there is going to be a day where you need that teenager to want to sit there.
[00:22:57] And want to be there to [00:23:00] feel like that is the place, their love. They can escape the worries, and it doesn't have to be. Your teenager can hate your spouse, yourself, your child, your little ones. They need to feel that to be a very safe place in your home. Well is just using with positivity and love. Right.
[00:23:18] And if we already know that we're going to be thrown all these busy crazy day. With limited time for each other, then he should know that our family dinner space has got to be that one really important sacred place in our home, and we've got to protect it. So if we're going to protect it, then we need some tools to sit there and have it turn out really well.
[00:23:46] We got to leave day after day. So a couple ideas that I, that someone could take right after getting off this podcast and implement tonight would be best. I mentioned this before, I think, but don't [00:24:00] let anyone sit at the table until everyone is seated together. And that keeps like your little ones that have shorter attention spans from fading out after 10 minutes, just sitting there.
[00:24:13] And then it prevents the older kids. I know from personal experience from sitting down and sparking down all their food, even though they years they're supposed to wait. And so you have everyone sit at one time and then when you're sitting in there, Start with something that brings you all together and kind of like opens up the meal.
[00:24:35] So for us, that's prayer, we do not start our meal without cranes. So we do that. If that's not your thing, you could go around and say something you're grateful for it. Maybe that. So once you're sitting there, some really great ideas for conversation starters would be. You know, a lot of people do the highs, lows game roses, thorns, whatever [00:25:00] one thing, that's a twist on that.
[00:25:01] That is it digs deeper and doesn't give one word answers and makes the conversation go further. Would be, I like to tell people to do the three ELLs. So the three ELLs include this. What is something that made you laugh today? How were you a leader and share a lesson you learned? And everyone goes around and they can say these things and it leads to so many good conversations and stories told, and it gets everyone interacting and you have to pay attention to each other and use good eye contact and listening skills and all the big things.
[00:25:39] And another thing that you can do that is straight out of our together for family dinner game is one of our categories is called things that make me. So you could say, like, these are all just little prompts, like what today needs, you say I'm so thankful or what today means you say [00:26:00] that was annoying or that was crazy.
[00:26:03] So you could say that like, that's a really good go-to conversation starter in my own family is I'll say, okay, everyone go around and you have to say something hilarious that happened. Or, you know, acquaintance today where you stood up for somebody or you stood up for something you believed in anything like that is going to open up the conversation to so much more.
[00:26:24] I love that every bit of that, I just took so many notes, even as I'm just sitting here because yeah, in my family, we often they'll say like high, low Buffalo and a Buffalo is like a challenge that we had to push through. My husband has this whole thing that goes with it. But I love that something that made you laugh.
[00:26:40] Where were you a leader and was the last one, the lesson that I write that down, right? Yes. A lesson you learn. I love that I'm going to start using that. And I think, you know, I think any of these prompts are just so helpful because especially if we're talking about the dinner table, so many families are showing up at that time of day, just burnt out.
[00:26:57] I mean, we're just kind of running on fumes. Our kids [00:27:00] often are the same, you know, they're kind of that that'd be witching meltdown hour and it can be a feel really, it can feel so easy to just get through it. And that's really a missed opportunity. And again, there's going to be days where we all are just getting by and there's going to be seasons when that's just where we're at.
[00:27:16] But I think for us to see that day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, that's tremendous missed opportunity. If we don't see it as a repeated chance to connect and to gather. And I love those prompts. So just, you know, as, as tired as we may be, we can use those conversations starters.
[00:27:34] We can use those little. You know, things that make us go to just kind of start getting the wheels turning when we feel like our wheels are all powering down for the night and just get everyone to engage. So something I would love to ask you, and one of the points you made in terms of kind of transitioning to the table, and I think you had a great tip with, you know, with everyone sitting down at the same time, and then you were talking about, you know, using something that opens up at the [00:28:00] meal and, you know, some people give thanks for, you know, go around and give them.
[00:28:03] A phrase I love to use often in different capacities, as you know, saying grace or, you know, saying a prayer. I know you mentioned walk families through maybe, you know, for the mom who wants to start praying with her kids, not just, you know, the bedtime prayers as she's tucking the kids in, but maybe as a family at the dinner table.
[00:28:24] And if that's not something they've been doing, can you kind of walk us through, like, how would a parent. Start integrating that, especially if they are in a faith-based home and you know, maybe the parents are familiar with praying, but still kind of uncomfortable in how to lead their kids to do that at a meal.
[00:28:39] Can you kind of walk us through maybe some basics on how parents could get started with that? Yeah, sure. I, you know, I think anytime we're trying to implement something new into our. It can be a little scary in the sense of, oh gosh, am I going to implement this correctly? Are we going to keep up [00:29:00] with it?
[00:29:00] Whether it's a new laundry, so Sam or eating habits or screen rules. Right. So I think we need to just approach this. Like we do anything else that we want to start. It's just something that we feel is going to. Help our family tremendously bring a lot of really good value and that we feel ultimately is the right direction for our family to go to help us for stronger.
[00:29:28] So, you know, first be confident in that don't, don't feel nervous implementing this new habit and get the kids involved. Our children love to be involved, right. And all of our children. Any kind of family decisions. So I think if we don't make it intimidating, it's not going to come across that way for ourselves or for our children.
[00:29:51] So I think this is as easy as saying something like, Hey, I heard this on a podcast. I [00:30:00] listened to today. If, if that's your approach or I was talking to so-and-so and they did this in their family. And I think it would be really special for us to add to our home. Or whatever you might want to say, but I think you just, you just approach it that way, that now this is something special that I think would bring our family together.
[00:30:24] Our dinner table is a place where we can slow down and really connect. And one way I hear that so wonderful. If our families, if connect is around prayer and I'd love to bring that more to our. Let's sit down and see if we can find a dinnertime prayer together that we all like, and we'll print it off and we can start to say it together.
[00:30:46] You know, I like, I think it's nice to say our prayer that everyone knows together because it, it just sucks that stage of unifying you, even if it seems simple and [00:31:00] juvenile, but you can add at the end. You know, like, does anyone have any intentions or something like that and then make it more personal for each other.
[00:31:10] But I think we need to go to the place of, okay. Ultimately this is going to benefit our family so much that we will work through the awkwardness or the uncomfortable part. Maybe get, excuse me, making it feel normal until it's habit. And I think that's really what it comes down to for our families is making things happen so often that they become habit and it's just natural so that you know, that that's what you stand for.
[00:31:44] And, you know, one thing would be, if you can't start with the unifying prayer, where you all say it together, then go around and say, You know, let's thank God for something right now, or let's pray a special intention for each other. [00:32:00] And I would add that once you start this as a family habit, keep it up.
[00:32:04] When you have guests at your home, keep it up. When the kids have friends so that they see that and you get to be an example for them. And the friends expect that when they come to your home, I love that. I think those are some great tips, especially. Something, you know, as we approach the Easter season, I think, you know, a lot of families, if that maybe isn't something that they've been using as part of their mealtime ritual.
[00:32:28] I think it's something that, you know, might be more top of mind. And I would love, I know we've got to wrap up soon, but I would love to hear a little bit more. I know we've talked a little bit about your conversation starters, but I would love to know specific to your linked guide, walk us through kind of what that would look like with the.
[00:32:46] Episode being on the day that lent starts. I think it's just so timely for us to understand that we have a season right now where we can be really intentional about our meal times and obviously our day to day and just preparing our hearts and our lives for the Easter season [00:33:00] ahead. But if families wanted to get more intentional with using these mealtime conversations to prepare their hearts for Easter and to prepare their family, walk us through, like, what does that look like with your together conversation guides and the one that's specific to.
[00:33:15] Yes. Thank you for asking about that. I will say real quick that are like family dinner game is not fake face. You'll teach your family a whole lot of values, but it's not directed towards your faith where together for Easter is Fred's one of our sons that will help your family grow in your faith.
[00:33:34] For sure. So basically what. Is it doesn't have to be around the dinner table. That's such an easy place to do it because you're all gathered there and it comes with a, an 11 by 14 poster that you just unfold and put on while your refrigerator, wherever you want. And it's a path to an empty tomb with the outline of stickers.
[00:33:57] So then you just have the short [00:34:00] card that takes you through Ash Wednesday, then every Sunday up till the week before Easter. And then beginning on Palm Sunday, you have a S a little verse to read every day of holy week until Easter Sunday. So it ends up being 14 days that you do this for the whole time of.
[00:34:18] So you are going to just read a little excerpt and then he'll a sticker that goes with that day that gives you a comp to follow up with what you read. So an example is on good Friday, the question or the sticker prompt is discuss a time when someone sacrificed something for you, how did it make you feel?
[00:34:39] You can see it just, it just leads to that conversation that you're not having. As often as maybe you want to. I always talk about these stickers as being the way to outsource what you really want to say and the conversation you want to create. And then you would peel that sticker, put it on the path and then count app Easter, and you do it for Christmas.
[00:34:59] [00:35:00] We don't do it for Easter and we really should. Yeah. And I think that that's just so manageable because I think there's been years where I feel like I get to Easter. And I'm like, oh my goodness, I really have not prepared my kids for the significance of this. Like, I feel like it sneaks up on us and I'm like focused more honestly, on what isn't going to put in their Easter basket.
[00:35:18] And I hate to admit that, but I think this is so manageable because it's still preparing our hearts for the season and the holiday ahead. But also I love that. Creating a habit. You know, again, I'm big on habit building exercises for families, particularly around mealtimes and not those short-term, you know, we want, we want the short-term wins.
[00:35:38] Of course we want to be successful with, but I think that this helps get families in the habit of having some of those conversations and asking some of those questions that may feel. A little uncomfortable or like, is this something, you know, that my kids going to respond to and how am I going to respond to it and stuff.
[00:35:53] And I think it helps just get families in the habit of practicing having some of those conversations so that [00:36:00] Easter is going to happen and thereafter they can start moving into, you know, how are we going to continue to build these conversations and be intentional with this time. So tell us a little bit more about where moms listening can find you, where they can learn more about.
[00:36:14] You're together products. The other conversation guides that you have outside of the Easter game that you have, and then, you know, placemats your podcasts. Tell us more about how moms can connect. So my favorite place to hang out is over on my podcast families that stick together, you find that. And my website is to gather moments.com.
[00:36:36] If you want to get free resources, including together or road trip that is at together with the Satcom slash free and I'm over on Instagram at the same handle together. Well, Jennifer, thank you so much for making the time to be on the podcast today and just sit down and chat with me a little bit at the table so we can learn how to be more intentional with our [00:37:00] families as we gather around.
[00:37:01] Thanks for having me, Ashley. I had a lot of fun with you.
[00:37:08] it has been a joy having you on podcast today. And if you've enjoyed it as well, I have a quick favor to ask. Do you mind hopping over to apple podcasts and leaving me a written review? This will only take you a hot second, but it truly blesses me every time I get to read one of you right over there. And it allows me to bless her.
[00:37:25] Through this podcast and the episodes to come. The other thing that you can do is to take a screenshot of this episode and tag me over on Instagram at veggies and virtue, I would love to see what action steps that you're taking from this episode, and also to support your family in the journey moving forward until next time.
[00:37:41] Thanks for coming over to chat at my kitchen counter. Remember that you will always have a seat and a snack waiting for you here.
Important links from this episode
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