Tea at 3!

Our kids do school from home, and yet the school day is so full of tasks it can often seem as though we haven’t even seen each other! I was lamenting this reality and sincerely seeking a practical way to intentionally connect during the school day. Concurrently, our dear friends from England came to visit. Tyler met Meg and Justin while in seminary at Oxford University. Annually, Meg and Justin pay our family a much anticipated visit over the holidays. We get to connect about life and encourage each other in our dreams and to our delight, Meg and Justin always indoctrinate us in elements of British culture. This past visit, they decided to throw us a traditional afternoon tea with scones made from scratch by Justin, along with small batch jams and imported clotted cream. We put on mood music (a Jane Austen soundtrack) dressed up in our most proper attire (involving top hats and bow ties) and had a delightful hour of English treats and conversation.

This sparked a divinely inspired idea! After school each day, I should have teatime with the kids. Tea at 3! Whether we “had the time” or not, we would stop our work for 20 minutes, have a cup of tea in a “real” tea cup, enjoy a snack and one another’s company. I committed to this daily appointment. It has had the exact result I hoped. We slow down for a moment and intentionally connect. Some days I make it more elaborate with my own attempt at homemade scones. Other days, I just throw cheese and crackers in front of them. This intentionality creates room for magic! We always laugh, it’s always special, and now after school feels like a holiday. Afterwards, the kids clear their teacups and I dive right into making dinner. I’ve found this moment together refocuses and rejuvenates us for whatever the evening routine holds.

I’ve learned that routines are essential. I’d say most days I don’t feel I have time for tea. If I followed that urge I’d never stop to have a quiet moment with the kids. However, since I’ve committed daily to make this our routine, I’ve taken away the choice of being too busy for our family to have this special time together. Which is truly what I want to prioritize, but struggle to when the daily stresses add up. This routine gives me the structure I need.

Maybe it’s not tea time for you. Even the commitment to having a nightly sit down dinner with the family would work. If you’re struggling with this same predicament of always feeling behind the eight ball and not spending the quality time or positive time you crave with your family, might I suggest choosing and committing to a daily routine of sit down time together.

If “Tea at 3” is your cup of tea, here are the recipes I use to attempt a proper British tea:

Easy Clotted Cream

Easy Scone Recipe