While sitting in my doctor's waiting room last week for a checkup, I browsed through a recent copy of FamilyFun Magazine. They did a survey of 2900 families and found that 40% of dads never make dinner. I hate to admit it, but I'm smack dab in the middle of that group.
When my wife and I were dating, I was somehow able to cook her a grilled halibut dinner complete with all the trimmings. But now that we've been married for well over a decade, about the best I can do (or at least choose to do) is flip some burgers on the grill or boil up some mac and cheese. 
Nevermind that I can build a computer from scratch, change the spark plugs on my Ford Ranger, or install crown molding in the whole downstairs area of our home. Those kinds of physical mechanical tasks come naturally for me, and I enjoy doing them. But the thought of buying ingredients, preparing them and cooking them sounds like drudgery to me. I guess I'm fortunate that my wife is a great cook and enjoys cooking, but maybe it's time I pitched in for a change!
Our routine is for her to cook and me to either clean up or put the kids to bed, whichever she chooses. I'm sure I could score some serious points though by offering to both cook and clean one night. Know of any good recipes that a cooking-handicapped dad like me could whip up for my family?
Getting back to the FamilyFun magazine survey... they also found that only 38% of families eat together every evening. I think the family meal thing has become under-rated. Yes, it can be a drag with smaller kids – constantly getting after them to take another bite, but it's also a priceless chance to connect and discuss the day's events. We eat together every night of the week on most weeks, although occasionally I'll end up staying late at work or will be out with a buddy for a movie night.
For kid's chores related to meal time, they found that 88% clear the table, 83% set the table, 77% help prepare the food, and 62% wash the dishes. Our kids are doing great with the “clearing the table” chore, and sometimes help their mom prepare the food for simpler meals. I think the trick to success with any chore is consistently enforcing it until it becomes a habit. I find I have to remind them less and less as time goes by, and the older daughters are starting to do it on their own now without prompting.
What are your mealtime rules for whether they get dessert or not? According to the survey, 44% of families let their kids eat dessert "if you eat most of your dinner", 24% "rarely serve dessert", 14% had no dessert policy, 10% insisted that their kids "must try everything first", and 8% said "no dessert until your plate is clean" (that's us).
