A card from Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
Meals (Weekend)
Why do weekend meals feel more burdensome than weekday meals? Oh, let us count the ways. Maybe it’s because there are twice as many of them than on a school day. Perhaps it’s because they amplify the kitchen mess exponentially. Or because when you make it to Saturday night, you’re still only halfway there. Weekend meals deserve their own card—who wants it? Psst. Serving lunch at 4 p.m. doesn’t cut it unless midday meltdowns are your thing.
Holding this card means owning all three
Conception
Your family needs to eat on weekends
Planning
- Menu planning/recipe selection
- Making lists of items needed (give to “Groceries” cardholder with appropriate amount of time or purchase yourself)
Execution
- Cooking/preparing
- Serving
- Putting dishes in sink for “Dishes” cardholder
Suggested Minimum Standard of Care
Is your family fed a reasonably nutritious meal during the appropriate time window for each meal. (i.e, Lunch at 4 pm doesn’t cut it when kids last ate at 8 am.)
A starting point. You and your partner agree the real standard together, and the holder meets it without reminders.
Holding it well
- The holder owns all of it: noticing, planning and doing. No “just tell me what to do.”
- Agree the Minimum Standard of Care together, then let the holder meet it their way.
- Not working? Bring it to the weekly check-in and re-deal it. Don’t take it back mid-week.
Put this card on your table
Deal it, agree its standard, and see who holds what. Free.