It was going to be perfect. I had the recipe pulled up, all the ingredients on hand, and just enough time to get everything prepped before the kids started melting down. I had a vision: a cozy, healthy family dinner, eaten together at the table like a Pinterest board come to life.
What actually happened?
One kid refused to eat because it “looked weird.” Another cried because their favorite cup was in the dishwasher. The dog stole a chicken thigh. I burned the rice. Someone spilled juice all over the floor. I ended up eating my dinner standing at the sink.
And yet… we survived. Everyone ate something, eventually. No one starved. And honestly, no one cared that it didn’t go according to plan—except me.
Real Talk: Dinner Doesn’t Have to Be a Performance
It’s easy to get swept up in the pressure to make every meal “special.” Social media makes it look like other families are sitting down to candlelit quinoa and lovingly roasted vegetables every night. But most of us are just trying to get something edible on the table before bedtime.
And that’s enough.
What Actually Matters
- Did your kids eat something? Great.
- Was it cereal, leftovers, or frozen nuggets? Still great.
- Did someone laugh, even if there were also tears? Amazing.
- Did you do your best with the energy you had? That’s the gold star.
Perfect dinners are rare. Nourishing your family doesn’t always mean homemade, balanced, or Instagram-worthy. Sometimes, it means buttered noodles and a Popsicle. Sometimes, it means ordering pizza and watching a movie because that’s what your sanity needed.
Let Go of the Guilt
Dinner doesn’t have to be magical. It just has to happen.
So the next time it all goes sideways—again—remember this: You are feeding your family with love, even if the love comes with a side of microwaved mac and cheese.
You’re doing great. Even if dinner didn’t go as planned.
