Eating and sleeping. They’re both necessary to life, and for most of us grownups they seem to come naturally.

So why does having kids seem to make both of these very simple human functions so much more complicated?

Today’s episode of The Home Hour Podcast covers both these topics – and gives solutions for making them simpler for your family.

My interview today is with Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner, A Love Story. Jenny has recorded every dinner she’s made in a notebook since 1998 (!!) and the two of us discussed everything from the importance of planning (and how to do it), to keeping meals simple, to dealing with picky eaters.

I am also excited to announce that this is the first week our own Sarah Powers will be coming on the show as my co-host in a regularly recurring segment about motherhood and our lives as moms. 

This week Sarah and I talk about a topic that’s on almost every mom’s mind: SLEEP. Specifically, how to get more of it, and how to encourage our kids to sleep more (without freaking out if they aren’t perfect sleepers.)

I know you’re going to love listening to this week’s show while you get dinner on the table, drive carpool or fold that basket of laundry.

Click here to open Episode 22 of The Home Hour Podcast in a new window. You can also find the show on iTunes, or you can scroll to the bottom to play the episode right here in your browser (and to find out how YOU can be part of a future episode!)

 

Here are links to some of the books and articles that Jenny Rosenstrach and I talked about today:

Amazon links in this post are affiliates. That means if you click through and make a purchase, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

* Dinner, A Love Story: It all begins at the family table  – Jenny’s book, released in 2012

* Dinner: The Playbook: A 30-Day Plan For Mastering The Art Of The Family Meal Jenny’s next book, a manual for making dinner happen, focused on practical tips and strategies. It will be released in August, and is available for pre-order now.

* That Chicken – a recipe Jenny and I discussed during the show that relates to the strategy of taking one step toward getting dinner on the table in the morning – even if it’s just thinking about what you’ll make – to avoid that 5 PM “Oh no, what we are gonna eat?” stress.

* Making Dinner vs. Making Dinner Happen – another great post of Jenny’s that illustrates how getting dinner on the table is almost always more than a 30-minute process (no matter what those magazine articles say.)

* What to Cook Tonight – a page on Jenny’s blog that details some typical types of nights – pantry nearly empty night? Late soccer practice night?