10. Limited choices make life easier. Chick-Fil-A makes grilled chicken and fried chicken, and they're both good. Give your kids two choices, and they feel empowered. Give them twenty, and everyone's overwhelmed.
9. Take a break on Sundays. I always want Chick-Fil-A on Sundays. Because you always want what you can't have. But what a great reminder to take a day of rest. It's so easy to cram the week with all kinds of activities, but how great to just take one day to take a break from it all.
8. Serve others cheerfully. CFA employees don't just answer a "thank you" with a "you're welcome." They go a step further and reply, "My pleasure" and smile. In nearly every other fast food restaurant I ever go to, it's hard to even get the employees to make eye contact, so it's noticeable when this kind of service is offered. And it makes me feel great and smile, too! It's just a little thing, but it's a great reminder to not only make my children their food or bathe them or any of the other daily "chores" that I perform, but to do those things with pleasure...now that's the right way to live!
7. Think ahead of the little things. CFA has hand sanitizing wipes near the play area, place mats that stick to the table for kids, and little containers of Cheerios for the tiny ones to munch on. They carry food to the table for you if it's obvious you have your hands full (say with three small humans). And they even supply ladies with lady things in the ladies' room. It's so nice to know that someone has thought of all of those things for me. As a mom, I'm constantly having to think ahead to anticipate the dietary, toileting, and hygeine issues of my family. Planning ahead makes them feel safe and loved.
6. Simple things make special days feel special. During the month of my kids' birthdays, they're invited to CFA for a party with other kids who share their birth month. It's a simple event with a free meal, cake, a balloon, a T-shirt, and a little cow toy. It probably doesn't cost a lot for them to put this on each month, but the kids think it's fabulous. They get to hug a giant cow and play on a twisty slide; what more could a kid want? So, why did I spend an hour earlier today trying to come up with the perfect party plan for each kids' next birthday, which is still three months away?
4. Be present. It's so lovely to me when the manager comes over and asks me if I need a refill and compliments my baby. Squeeze my baby's chubby legs and ask my big kids a question or two about their names and ages, and it makes me want to become a regular. Who doesn't want to come into a restaurant where they know your order or maybe your name and have a "Norm!" moment? Maybe it's just me, but I like a little personal treatment. It's so easy for me to go through the motions changing diapers, making lunches, cleaning up, and all the rest of the mommy duties without stopping to ask the kids simple questions. How hard is it to throw in a, "What did you dream about last night" or a "What are you most excited about doing at school?" at every meal at least? Mealtime is the perfect time to reconnect after a lot of busyness and a great time to teach conversation skills.
3. Giant cows and brownies make everything better. My kids adore that cow. Even when Mikey was being pretty antisocial around age 2, he hugged that cow. And their brownies...well, I heart them. The parenting lesson here? A little silliness thrown in to every day goes a long way with little ones. And a little treat every now and then, for the kids and for Mommy is a good thing!
2. You don't have to spend a lot for a meal to be special. We just happened to stop at CFA on Valentine's Day one year. We were doing our V-Day dinner out the next night, but we took the kids out on the 14th. When we got there, they had cloth table cloths, lit candles, and red roses on each table. They even had live musicians! And you know what? It was lovely. There were couples there enjoying a strangely romantic meal. What a great lesson for a mom who tends to spend too much money on toys and activities for the kids when they'd honestly be thrilled to just spend that time playing hide-and-seek with me in the house.
1. Mealtime is family time. Everything I've said so far is summed up in this statement. CFA does a great job of offering food and an environment that appeals to both parents and kids. We get our time together eating a meal we all enjoy, and then the kids get to play in the kids' zone, leaving Mike and me to chat together, just the two of us. The balance of time with the kids and time with just each other is so important to every family. Keeping the spousal bond strong through communication keeps the entire family strong. It keeps the two of us on the same page as far as parenting strategies and gives us time to marvel at the amazing little people we've been given the honor of raising.
And so while I'm not currently paid by the Chick Chick, I aspire to some day own a franchise. ;) Not really. But I'll keep slugging their Coke Zeroes and munching on their waffle fries as long as they keep the inspiration coming.
