Welcome to the Whitacres
2007 at 12:19 pm | by Nicole WhitacreFiled under Homemaking Eating and Mealtime
Here we are enjoying some tangy South Carolina barbecue. The little guy at the end is Jack. On the left is Steve’s younger sister Megan, his mom, Nancy and dad, Bill. That’s Steve and me on the right.
This casual Sunday evening meal was followed by family night. We had a competitive game of dominoes fueled by Bill’s yummy home made trail mix (the secret’s in the peanut butter chips!).
In our multi-generational household with two homemakers, three adults working outside the home, and one toddler with stuff to say, dinnertime conversation is pleasantly eclectic.
Recently, though, Steve has been training Jack to ask questions. We want him to learn to take an interest in others. And he loves taking an active part in the adult conversation. “Dad, can we do questions?” he usually asks five minutes into the meal.
Beginning with Bill he takes a verbal lap around the table, enthusiastically asking: “Pops, what did you do today?” When he’s finished he wants someone to ask him about his day.
After one round, Steve helps him begin again. This time he asks each family member, “What did you read in the Bible today?” Quiet time accountability from a three-year old! Seriously, it’s my favorite moment of the meal. Our son gets to hear the gospel five times over from his grandparents, aunt, and parents. Not to mention the encouragement we all receive from this time of fellowship.
Don’t get me wrong. Whitacre dinnertime isn’t always a worshipful experience. Some days we’re rushing off to church meetings, or Jack needs discipline, or only two in a family of six can make it.
But despite our inconsistencies, a three-year-old boy is learning lessons that will shape the man that he becomes—proving that you can’t measure the value of a meal by the grocery budget.
