I envisioned an entire childhood of idyllic family meals; my husband and I would cease balancing our plates on our laps in front of Law and Order reruns and instead have lively family discussions around the table filled with a delicious dinner.

It sort-of came to be…with modifications. My top 3 tips to make it work:

1. Try, try, and try foods over and over again. Repeat.

2. The power of positive peer pressure is real. Eat together as a family as much as possible.

3. Engage them in meal planning, and include meal prep as they grow.

Here’s how we made it work:

Now, we’re fortunate that the kids can pitch in and make dinner if needed, particularly on nights when us parents get to go out. And (for now) they will all sit at the table and eat together, probably out of habit. It was a lot of work initially, but we’re definitely reaping the rewards now.