Importance of family dinners

Nowadays, it is of no doubt that parents and children are always getting along. Whether it’s work, school, daycare, meeting or football, someone is always at home.

Dinner is a natural way for families, especially busy families, to have a good time together. The benefits of sharing a meal can go beyond good nutrition. Whether it’s to pick up on a child’s day or learn something new to laugh at, each meal gives parents the opportunity to forge a stronger bond with their children. Here are some ways family dinners are always important.

Family Dinners At Home Influence Good Decisions

A surprising benefit to eating together at home is that it lowers the chances that your children will make poor choices in the future. If you eat 5 or more meals together a week, it is shown that children are less liking to make bad choices in the areas of smoking, drinking and drug use than children whose family don’t eat together. It’s amazing to think that simply eating together can prevent such problems for our children. I think the difference is knowing that they belong and are loved and therefore they don’t have to seek other ways and other things to gain acceptance. What could be more important for future of our families that kids make good life choices?

For the Conversation

Another benefit to family dinners is the conversation that will come from your family together. You would be amazed at how this time will allow your family time to bond, connect, plan and even learn from each other. This conversation creates a feeling of belonging like nothing else. The feeling of belonging leads to self-esteem which leads to a greater success in life.

For Health

The American diet has gotten progressively worse in modern times. Obesity is a huge problem in our country. Consuming more fats, fewer fruits and vegetables is not a good way to raise good eaters or healthy people. Studies have shown that eating with your family is beneficial to the development. Children will eat more vegetables, get more vitamins and nutrients, rather than junk. When we plan dinners together at home we don’t eat as much fried food as it is typical when eating at fast food restaurants.

Teach Life Skills

Many young people don’t know the first thing about cooking, let alone putting a complete, delicious meal on the table. We can encourage good eating habits for a lifetime and into the next generation by having children help us plan and prepare meals. Kids can pick a recipe they’d like to try and even stir batter, chop vegetables (if they are older) and set the table. Letting kids help in the kitchen is just one way to get them involved in cooking and preparing food. When they go to college you won’t have to worry so much that they’ll starve. You may worry that they are wearing dirty underwear, but laundry is another issue entirely.

Encourage Good Grades

Did you know that eating together as a family has shown to improve grades in school and general academic achievement? It is clear that children from families that eat together do better in school. 

Teach Manners

Another benefit to eating together is an opportunity to teach and model table manners. If we don’t eat at the same table how will we show our kids how they should behave while eating? If children grow up without table manners they may be at a disadvantage in adulthood. Poor table manners can change how their business peers perceive them.

Above all, family dinners keep the family together

Do you feel like it’s a challenge to connect with your children? Are you feeling tired of being on the treadmill? Are you running every way with everyone’s activities? Family dinners are one way to foster a connection with your children. It helps to slow down the hectic pace that so many of us are caught in. Family dinners are an everyday way to strengthen family bonds. It also helps to find out what is going well for our children, and what they are struggling with. It is an opportunity for family members to sit down, face-to-face, and connect in a genuine way. It provides a sense of belonging that so many children desperately need.

Family dinners are an opportunity for young children to learn and practice communication skills, the give and take of conversation, and the reinforcement of appropriate table manners. Young people can take great pride in participating in household responsibilities. The daily tasks of setting and clearing the dinner table, and meal preparation help children understand that the family is a community within itself.

Studies show the more often teens eat with their family the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs

Family meal time provides an opportunity for teenagers to interact with their parents in a relaxed atmosphere and demonstrates open lines of communication. Studies show the more often teens eat with their family, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs. It also increases how well they do in school. Recognize it is difficult to find a time for the entire family to sit together and parents need to be creative in how to make it happen. One parent may need to delay dinner to accommodate a teen’s later schedule.

Open-ended questions are great for any age and encourage children to become involved in a dialogue around the dinner table. Remember to leave out criticisms, negative comments and focus on making this a relaxing, enjoyable time. Family dinners that are practiced several times a week will provide support and stability for the entire family. Turn off the TV and radio. Opt for a weekend breakfast or a Sunday afternoon dinner. At first there may be resistance, but continue to make this an enjoyable gathering and in time your family will look forward to this shared time.

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