Every night our family of five sits down to a family dinner. It’s not elegant. It’s not gourmet. And, it’s not quiet. It’s a zoo. And mostly, I’d just like to forego the entire production. It’s exhausting. But I truly believe it’s worth it.
A simple online search for “family dinner” reveals that many experts agree; family dinner is imperative. For kids who eat regular family meals there are significant decreases in many risk factors including obesity, substance abuse, depression and eating disorders. Research shows many also get better grades in school and often delay sexual activity.
One of the key components to a family dinner is communication. Our kids are still very little, so the topics of conversation are far from intellectual. Poop gets discussed more often than I’d like to admit. But we also talk about work and friends and sharing and why you need to eat those veggies. Good communication means we turn off the TV, don’t answer the phone and nothing comes to the table but food. We just sit and eat and talk. Well, there is some whining.
Eating together also gives me a chance to get my kids to try new things and teach them that eating is an adventure. When we get the chance, we like to eat out at different ethnic restaurants. It’s like travelling without ever boarding a plane!
Whether we’re eating leftovers at home or getting great Mexican food at The Fork & Spoon, we make eating dinner together a priority. And in between the whining and complaining and crying, there’s a lot of talking and a lot of laughter!
