the great family dining experiment

Our typical schedule is to feed Oliver his dinner around 6pm, after we get home. After I put him to bed, around 7:30, I would cook for CD and me. CD generally prefers a later dinner. I don't like to eat so close to bedtime but I've adapted over the years.

Oliver has turned into a somewhat finicky eater of late, likely of our own making, having more to do with manipulation and power than food. We would ask him what he wanted for dinner, make it, and shortly thereafter watch him throw it on the floor and ask for something else. The more we obliged, the more difficult mealtimes became. A few days ago I suggested to CD that we try family meals when we move to the new house. It's been a hot topic on a few of the blogs that I read and all the arguements in favor made a lot of sense. Yesterday, much to my surprise, he suggested we start immediately.

Oliver has been stretching bedtime a bit so we decided dinner could be around 7pm for all of us, in the dining room. I made veggie raddiatore with chicken sausage. The results were amazing. Oliver ate plenty of both pasta and sausage. He was happy and engaging, and didn't try to throw anything.

I have to assume this was just first-timer's luck and the novelty will wear off, but I hope to enjoy it for a while.