Are you familiar with the Paradox of Choice? It’s the premise that having too many choices can (paradoxically) increase our levels of stress and anxiety. You know when that really rings true? 5pm on a Wednesday when the family’s asking, “What’s for dinner?”
One way to tackle dinnertime decision-making is to create a big-picture plan based on your family’s preferences (have them weigh in!). Just assign a theme to each weekday and use it as a guide. I did this when our kids were little, and it was surprisingly useful!
To be clear, I didn’t follow the plan super closely all the time, but I absolutely appreciated the structure it provided. For one thing, it meant that I always had a starting point. Plus, the whole family got into it. Our kids would try something in a restaurant or in a Sticky Fingers Cooking class and suggest that we try making it for dinner. They also liked helping to plan the menu for different nights, sometimes proposing ideas weeks in advance – “hey, let’s make street tacos for Taco Tuesday!” It turned out to be a great way to keep them interested.
Give it a try and see if this sanity-saving tip works for you!
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