Monthly Dinner Planning:

Because Apparently, These People Want to Eat Every Day

Here’s something no one tells you before you have kids: they expect dinner. Every night. Like, forever.

And not just “dinner” as in a random handful of pretzels and some freezer-burned waffles—they want real food. On a plate. With sides. Every. Single. Day.

So, in an attempt to reclaim some semblance of control over the evening chaos, I decided to become that mom. You know—the one with a Monthly Dinner Planner. The kind of woman who meal preps on Sundays and has a Pinterest board called “Weeknight Wonders” instead of “Ways to Fake Illness to Get Out of Soccer Practice.”

Spoiler: I’m not that woman. But I tried.

Week 1: The Optimism Phase

I sat down with my colorful markers and planned 30 whole days of dinners. I color-coded it. I wrote “Taco Tuesday” and drew a tiny sombrero. I even pre-shopped for three nights in advance. I felt powerful. I felt organized. I felt like the CEO of Meatballs.

Week 2: The Wheels Come Off

One kid got sick. Another had a surprise “bring a dish” event at school that derailed everything. I tried to make Wednesday’s planned stir-fry but realized I only had soy sauce packets from Sushi Express and three snow peas. We had grilled cheese and called it a “deconstructed panini.”

Week 3: Full Spiral

We ate cereal for dinner twice. I crossed out meals on the planner and wrote “???”. I looked at the dry-erase board and whispered, “You don’t know my life.” I defrosted chicken nuggets and called it “global fusion.”

Week 4: Acceptance

I came to peace with the idea that a dinner plan is a guide, not a legally binding document. Life happens. Kids happen. Some nights, dinner is beautiful and served with steamed broccoli. Other nights, it’s frozen waffles and a side of emotional exhaustion.

But even with the chaos, having a plan helped. A little. Enough to make me feel like I have it together, which is honestly half the battle.

So, want to join me in pretending we’re totally crushing dinner time?
Download my FREE “Mostly Reasonable Monthly Dinner Planner” and get a head start on feeling like the mom you keep pinning about.

👉 Click here to download the planner template
(It comes with space for actual meals, backup meals, and emergency cereal nights.)