Mealtime is so much more than just nourishment; it's an opportunity for families to connect and create lasting bonds with one another. Join us as we hear from Emelie Törling, an artist and mother of three based in the northern outskirts of Stockholm, who reveals her art of crafting timeless moments around the dining table, meant to be cherished and passed down for generations to come.  

Photos by Ceen Wahren, produced in collaboration with The Way We Play

What does mealtime with the family mean to you? 

With three small kids the meals are short and more chaotic than sweet, but it still means very much to me. I’m such a lover of old traditions that I believe set a solid foundation for life forever. To eat together even when the kids are small brings us together in the hectic world and the busy days. 

“We meet around the table.” Emelie with her three children and her father Carl-Daniel. 

What does it look like when you gather around the dining table, do you have any special routines? 

We try to always set the table beautifully, even if it’s for a short breakfast we have a lit candle and in the evening napkins for everyone. We always put the food on the table for everyone to see and smell before we eat, I feel it’s so much more cozy than to take the food directly from the stove. I think the kids need to learn this as early as possible, for me this is how you learn about eating and food. To see, to smell and to be able to put it on your plate yourself even if you’re two years old like Alix. I also have never and will never have screens on the table or in the kitchen in my life. On Sundays we do extra special dinners and in the mornings we always have waffles.

Alix with BIBS cup, plate, place mat, bib, and cutlery 

Are there any special meals that bring you together as a family? 

Pasta! It gives comfort and joy! Warm big bowls on the table, the scents from the kitchen and lots of food for everyone. Easy, warm cooked and inviting food always bring us together! 

"This one is for you grandpa".

What do you remember about meals at home when you were a child? 

My mom always cooked and she takes great pride in never giving us yoghurt and cereals even for one dinner when we were kids. That I must say I have taken after. Fifty years ago I know that in Sweden, lunches in schools were meant to fill the kids up so that the mothers could work and not cook every evening. But somehow that got lost I think and we all eat two cooked meals a day. Some days I love that we do (when I have time and when I have planned it) and som days it’s tricky, but then the trick is not to be so hard on ourselves regarding what kind of food we serve. 

Grandma Eva and Alix enjoying time spent together at the table with some snacks.

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