Family Night - with a twist

We put a little twist on our weekly family night for the big boys.

They now have to plan, shop, cook and lead when it is their family night!

Peter started off!

He did great.  Pete took him shopping. They are welcome to use anything we have in our refrigerator/freezer and cabinets.  I gave them a VERY small budget to shop with. 

It's a whole different ballgame to figure out price per pounds on a math paper than it is standing in Kroger!! :)   

I think this fits with strengths of Peter's, planning and independence.

 

Ben was up the next week.

It didn't go so great.  Ben is the nicest kid you will EVER meet.  He cares for others and has such a tender heart.  He makes wise decisions about friends and is a very hard worker.

Planning ahead though, isn't his strength. :)

This exercise really had two purposes in mind.  The first was to teach the kids how to plan and lead.  The second was for me to learn how to not nag my kids!

(I think this new twist is harder for me than them!!)

So when Ben didn't plan his family night and it was 6:30 and there was no dinner in sight, I was biting my nagging tongue.  Ben pulled out a can of corn and a can of green beans.   He popped them in the microwave and we say down to a bowl of vegetables for dinner. 

 

Everyone was a good sport about it, but went to bed a little hungry. :) 

 I asked Ben what he thought and he said he was going to do better at planning next time. 

I helped him make a list and a timeline for preparations.

He had to wait a few weeks for his family night to come around.  Every Sunday he kept asking me, if his family night was that week and if we should go to the store.  

(As part of me not nagging, I told the kids I would take them to the store on Sunday.  I told them they could come and tell me when they wanted to go BUT it had to be before 7pm.  

After I tell them once, I don't remind them at all.) 

And this week, when his family night came around again, it was AWESOME!!! 

Sub sandwiches and chips. 

Served right on time.

Game time and a movie after!

This may or may not be me pushing my boys out of the way during the basketball game! :)

 Once again, I 'm pretty sure that I learned just as much, if not more than my kids in the family night twist.  I can encourage without nagging! 

REVELATION!!!

  And when they are given the freedom to fail and the gentle (not condemning) guidance on how to do it differently the next time, the result is usually pretty exciting to watch!