Congratulations! You made it through the summer. Give yourself a pat on the back and let out a cheer. Wahoo! Back to school might mean fewer kiddos running around the house during the day, but for the average American family, back to school doesn’t mean life at home is any less busy. On the contrary, most families are pulled in many different directions, balancing after school activities, work, and family time at home. 

Don’t worry—we’re here for you. We’ve talked to several expert parents about what it takes to make this school year the best yet—with as little stress as possible when it comes to dinner time. Based on their answers, we’ve come up with five ways to make dinner time a relaxing, connecting experience for you and your family. 

Plan ahead

You might be ready to skip this step—but we are absolutely sure this is the number one way to alleviate stress around dinner time during the school year. We’re big meal planners ourselves, and founder Allyse Jackson always plans ahead. You can even follow along with her every month. Just check out our blog for this month’s menu at the Jackson home! 

Beehive Meals can make meal planning easier than ever. With tried and true recipes, fresh ingredients, and easy prep, subscribing to our freezer meals gives you 10+ meals already in your freezer for the month, with dozens of options on how to serve them.

Not really sure where to start when it comes to meal planning? We’ve got you covered. Check out this handy how-to guide, with calendars, meal plans, and ideas to get started!

Make leftovers better than ever

“Double dipping” with one meal is the way to go. Prep enough for at least two meals, so you’ll have something ready to go the next day when your kids are running around to play practice or football tryouts. But leftovers don’t have to be old meatloaf and cold spaghetti. Use our freezer meals as a base for your meals, and utilize them in different ways to make each meal special and delicious. At Beehive Meals we make it no secret that we love our leftovers. 

Put your slow cooker to work

We know we’re biased when it comes to slow cookers: our meals are designed to be tossed in the slow cooker before you leave in the morning and be ready for you at dinner time. We should shout their praises all day long. But guess what? America agrees that slow cookers are the best way to save time and stress when it comes to family dinner. 

If you don’t have one, or maybe yours is getting tired, it might be time to invest in a new one. Give yourself the best gift ever: walking in the door to the delicious aroma of dinner ready to put on the table.

Let someone else do the work

You can’t do it all. And you don’t have to. Yes—say it out loud with us: “I don’t have to do it all.” Today’s modern family is outsourcing more than ever and we’re here for it. Whether it’s a cleaning service, childcare, or yard maintenance, it’s time to ask for help. 

When it comes to dinner time, it just isn’t economically viable to order take out every night. Your wallet and your waist will thank you if you have more home cooked meals. This is where we come in. Choosing to subscribe to Beehive Meals means 10 delicious and nutritious freezer meals are delivered to your door once a month. Simply store them in your freezer until you’re ready to use them, pop them in the slow cooker in the morning, go about your day, and then come home to your meal base ready to go. Just add a few sides and voila! Dinner is served.

Make family dinner a priority

One of our core values at Beehive Meals is creating time and space for family dinner. We believe that it’s worth prioritizing this time together. We know that it’s not possible for every member to be at the dinner table every night, but we want to make it as easy as possible for you to make that happen. 

Having dinner together as a family is proven to help improve your health, make you happier, and increase your kids’ social skills. Back to school frequently coincides with “back to busy.” We get that. But we hope you’ll make family dinner a priority at your house. Let us take the busy work out of it and give you time to sit down at the table and ask your kids how their day was. We’re sure you won’t regret it. 

Make this school year the best ever

We hope this is the best school year ever for you and your family, and that dinner time doesn’t contribute to the daily stress of raising a family. If you’re ready to take back your family dinner and make it a joyful, connecting time, we’re here to help. Subscribe to Beehive Meals today, and take the thinking out of dinner time.