Welcome to Fend For Yourself Fridays, a weekly free-for-all when it comes to dinner. After a long work week, this little tradition takes the stress of meal prepping away, but my family looks forward to the freedom of choosing their own scrappy dinner.
Fend Yourself Fridays are so freeing. We all scramble into the kitchen, each with our own cravings, and make it up as we go. For my toddler, it can look like one string cheese, an applesauce pouch, and a handful of crackers he proudly managed to open all by himself. He will carefully plate it all together like a gourmet chef and run to the living room.
And for me? I usually go with what TikTok has dubbed a “girl dinner” (yes, I’m still working on reducing that pesky scroll time; no you don’t have to remind me lol). Sometimes it’s 3 olives, one spoon of jello, 4 salami slices, a wedge of goat brie, and a glass of wine. Other times it’s pancakes with an unapologetic amount of syrup. No rules. Just vibes.
One thing we all have in common is that we head to the living room to watch something together. My toddler picks the movie (which means it’s always kid-friendly), we pull out our blankets, dim the lights, and eat utensil-free on the couch. It’s a sweet moment to press pause and be together. My toddler absolutely lights up at the idea of “staying up” until 8pm and getting our full attention. It’s a chance for my older baby to have the opportunity to get our undivided attention and be the “only” kid again. Watching him get giddy at the notion of “staying up” to eat dinner and watch TV on the couch makes the whole ordeal worth it, even when it’s just a 4 minute Pete the Cat video on loop.
I love when small things unexpectedly become tradition. Does your family have anything like this? I’d love to hear what your version of Fend For Yourself Fridays looks like. 💛💛💛
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