Several years ago I felt like our family was in a rut. We all set off for work and daycare each day and then came home to the same routine: playtime, dinner, bath, bedtime. Rinse and repeat. Every. Single. Day.
Our daughters had dance classes or soccer practices thrown into the mix sometimes, but nothing special that all of us could enjoy together. So my husband and I made one of the best decisions for our family: we created our own weekly family holiday.
Taco Tuesday became the day every week that the four of us would go to our local Mexican restaurant for dinner and to play a game or two of Uno. It gave us all something to look forward to and helped break up the monotony of the week. My daughter’s preschool teacher told me that everyone in her class soon learned about Taco Tuesday. She was so excited each Tuesday when they did calendar time and she could share with the class that it was an extra special day.
This simple and easy to implement solution was perfect for our family for several reasons. First, the restaurant was family friendly, close to home and inexpensive. I knew that everyone could order something they loved. You want to order the same “hard taco with beef and cheese, no lettuce” every week? Go for it, sweetie.
Second, it reduced the mental load for one day each week. This is priceless at any season of life, but especially beneficial when you have young kids who require endless mental and physical energy. I love spending quality time with my family, but after working all day I felt so drained that everything just sounded exhausting. This event was already planned and on the calendar each week. I knew exactly where we were going and what we were going to do. I didn’t have to do any extra mental gymnastics to make it happen. Time with my family where I didn’t have to plan, cook or clean…a true holiday!
Finally, Uno was the perfect choice for a game to play together while we waited for our food and ate dinner. Kids can start playing at a fairly young age. As long as they know their colors and can recognize at least some numbers, they can play with a little guidance from the adult sitting next to them. It can move as fast or as slow as needed, requires minimal strategy and is not mentally draining (if you haven’t picked up on it yet, I was SO tired during this time and needed things that were EASY!). The key to having kids manage card games at the dinner table are these card holders from Amazon.
Writing it out, it seems like such a basic idea…and it was. Eat a favorite meal and play a game together each week. It was so simple, but every Tuesday morning they would talk during breakfast about how excited they were for Taco Tuesday that night.
Taco Tuesday!
If you are currently feeling like I was a few years ago and want to create a weekly family holiday, here are some things to keep in mind:
Pick a day of the week that will work for the next few months.
You don’t need to commit to a day that will work forever, just long enough to get you started. Then, you can shift the day as needed down the road.
Choose a restaurant or an easy meal to cook at home.
This is not the time to worry about getting in a balanced, nutritious meal. I bet there are plenty of other times throughout the week that you ensure your kids are eating healthy or tying new foods. This is the time for something basic that will keep everyone happy.
Decide on one game to play each week.
Then only play the game that one day each week to avoid burnout. We kept a running tally in a notebook in my purse on how many games each person won to keep up the excitement. Choose something that you don’t hate playing!
If Uno isn’t your thing, here are a few other dinner table games we love.
Stick to the same thing each week.
Keep up the same routine as long as you can. This helps eliminate decision fatigue on your end. It also limits the arguing. If your kids are like mine, when given options they usually pick different things and then the arguing begins.
Choose something everyone can enjoy.
The thing to remember is that this is not just about your kids. It’s a family holiday and creating memories that you enjoy are just as important. It needs to be something everyone looks forward to or it will become another thing that gets pushed aside when life gets busy. We all loved Taco Tuesday because
- my kids love playing games and having our undivided attention
- I love getting a break from planning and cooking
- My husband loves margaritas and not having to do the dishes after dinner
Over time, Taco Tuesday has evolved for our family. When restaurants shut down due to Covid, we had to switch to having tacos at home. The basic Old El Paso taco kits were the perfect solution for a low effort meal. Our kids were not craving fancy tacos so we kept it simple.
As the girls have gotten older and busier, we shift around family night each season depending on our schedules and now call it Family Fun Night. We also have more variety in the games and activities we choose. But I am confident my girls will grow up associating tacos with playing Uno on Tuesdays with Mom and Dad. Most importantly, I hope they learn the value in prioritizing time with family each week and the importance in creating your own joy.
