When our son was four-years-old, he fell in love. The object of his affection was voluptuous — and far too old for him. He saw her constantly. She had long flowing hair and intense eyes. He called her his “little love.” The fact that our son was smitten by the Starbucks Mermaid was our fault.
One of our oldest family traditions is spending Saturday mornings at the local coffee shop. Started long before kids came along, this easy-going tradition was a sweet opening to weekends. Wherever we lived, we targeted the local coffee shop, indie or chain, just as long as we could reach it by foot. When we started having kids, going out for coffee Saturday mornings was a tradition we were determined to continue. We selfishly coveted this entrée into the weekend as a young couple and didn’t want kids to change this beloved routine.
Looking back, it was inevitable that our son’s first love would be the Starbucks logo. At our neighborhood location, we’d wolf down our weekly dark-roast coffee and cinnamon scone with our baby son and his slightly older sister in tow. It was exhausting. No longer a peaceful, relaxing way to begin the weekend, our treasured tradition had been turned upside-down. It would have been easy to let this tradition die with the arrival of kids. Yet, we persisted, trying to roll with the times.
When the kids morphed into fidgety toddlers, we’d pull out toys. We started talking about what restaurant manners looked like because coffee shops offered a forgiving environment. As they grew, we adapted, stashing coloring books and crayons for doodling. We’d eventually watch our little ones work with letters and spelling.
Their tastes changed with their age, resulting in them branching out, trying new items on the menu. Previously, they had faithfully ordered chocolate chip cookies because they knew that on Saturday mornings, we lifted parental law regarding what made for an appropriate breakfast.
Time sped by and one Saturday we suddenly realized that the day we had been pining for had arrived: we were having conversations with our kids. We realized we could actually finish our sentences without meltdowns or an impatient, “Is it time to go yet?” In fact, we were experiencing intentional, meaningful time together regardless of the topic of conversation. Sometimes we’d just chill and review the week, or talk current events and big ideas. Sometimes we’d have a rare moment when our blooming tweens needed to really talk, letting us into their world. Away from the distractions of the home, there was more space.
And this basic tradition was mercifully adaptable, able to accommodate the various seasons of family life. An old friend, this was a tradition we came to count on, a comfort during often painful adjustments. Yet, from its infancy, the core point of this family tradition — to hang out, celebrate and support each other — remained unchanged.
With amazement, I watched as we grew closer to our kids through our steady and persistent Saturday habit. We intentionally had built a routine which had serendipitously brought ease to our parent-child relationships.
Today we have high schoolers, and Saturday morning coffee starts much later, or sometimes not at all because teens need their sleep. And that is OK. There’s no question good things are happening because the kids will often text us, asking to meet up after school for coffee. By this, we know that our kids are choosing to hang out. There’s an element of trust. They know we’re not going to ask for deep conversation in exchange for buying them a coffee. Our little inexpensive outings — whether coffee or something else — are going to be whatever they end up being, no strings attached. Together, just hanging out as a little family.
We all want close family relationships. And we all hope for strong relationships with our teens. Yet, if not careful, we can find ourselves going from day to day, week to week, living under the same roof, but disconnected from one another. I realize now that this simple coffee shop tradition started something in motion long ago. Though I’m still trying to appreciate its fullness, its richness, its direct contribution to building the relationships we have today with our young adults, I’m thankful.
Starting with Starbucks, this coffee shop routine helped our kids want to be with us — their parents. And that’s no small thing.
By Talia Greenberg Hudgins
Kathryn Streeter is a D.C.-based mom and blogger.
Sometimes we’d have a rare moment when our blooming tweens needed to really talk, letting us into their world.
