In high school when I would sleep over at my friend’s house her Dad would make us pancakes with chocolate chips in them. Growing up I was pancake fan and often made them for breakfast on the weekends, but never had I had chocolate chips in them – WOW!
Her dad would also sit down with us at the table and spend time chatting with us. I thought ‘huh, that’s different’. My Dad wasn’t and still isn’t super chatty and I kind of thought that most Dads were just like that. In my teenage years I really began to understand all the different kind of parents through my friends and being in their homes, that the world was much bigger and diverse than my little home!
Starting a New Tradition with My Family
I carried on chocolate chip pancake making through the years. Then when I became a parent I started making them for my daughter. When she was old enough to appreciate the story behind them I shared it with her. I have made many batches of these for her and her friends over the years. My younger daughter loves these pancakes too.
When the friends come over I am known for my chocolate chip pancakes and they are often requested. According to my girls, pancakes aren’t complete unless they have chocolate chips in them. So, if I don’t have any in the house I don’t offer them (learned that one the hard way). By the way I just use a boxed dry mix, nothing fancy. But I do add a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter and I sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips on them once I’ve poured them in the pan. Then use whatever I have in the kitchen to top them – icing sugar, berries, maple syrup… that’s up to them!
In our home having my husband sit down and chat with the girls and their friends is quite common. It makes me smile when I see this and I think back to when I first learned about chocolate chip pancakes, my dear friend and her family. I look forward to seeing this little tradition being carried on in my family!
What are some family traditions you use to encourage family time conversation?
I would love to hear from you. You can join the conversation on Facebook, or you can send me a private message here.
Nicole