Living the modern, hectic lives we all seem to lead these days, it is hard to remember the importance of sitting down to eat a family meal. But, it may be time to consider a change. Recent studies have shown that the children who sit down at the dinner table to eat a meal with their family are more likely to eat a nutritious, well balance meal. it is also noted that children enjoy this opportunity to share a meal with their parents.
Between school, after-school activities and work schedules, the pace of life, and never-ending errands, meetings and the like we seem to have less and less time - so how can we create the space and time for sharing a meal together? Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Plan. Set aside at least one night a week to have a sit-down family meal. The traditional 'Sunday night dinner' at Mom's might work for you, or perhaps you need something a little more flexible. Whatever works for your family is fine, but if it doesn't get planned, its unlikely to get done. So, put dinner together into the calendar too.
2. Involve your children in the meal planning and preparation. Open a recipe book and choose what they'd like to make, go to the store together, or if there are older teenagers in the family, maybe a trip out to get groceries is another chance to practice their driving! Not only does this help share the load, but it helps children become self-reliant, learn about food and its preparation and learn healthy food habits.
3. Turn the TV off. I know we all love a good TV dinner, but for the one night a week, postpone switching on the TV until dinner time is over.
4. Let all calls go to voicemail/answer phone. This goes for Mom and Dad's work phone too! Dinner time is perhaps half an hour of the day, one day a week, that can be uninterrupted by outside influence. Almost everything can wait till after dinner.
5. Enjoy the conversation. Use this time to find out about favorite events during the week, share funny stories and reconnect with each other.
6. Slow down. Eat slowly, and teach your children to do the same. We spend some much time rushing dinner (usually between other activities), that we need to consciously slow down our eating. Eating slowly is a good eating habit.
7. Wait till the end for cleanup. Resist the urge to rush straight into clearing plates as soon as you, or the first person at the table is finished. Allow everyone the time to finish their meal, their conversation and then get the dishes - and extra 10 minutes won't matter to the dishes, but it will matter to your kids.
8. On the days that you don't get to sit down and eat as family, try to still catch up on their day when they are having dinner, or towards the end of the day, rather than rushing around doing chores. This shows them that you are interested and want to be involved in their life, that you care and that they are important.
With these simple steps, and a little commitment, eating together can become a highlight of the week for busy families. It will strengthen your family bond and give you time to enjoy what being a family is all about.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bridget_Lancaster
Impressions:
The above article reminds me of the ads made by Ms. Sharon Cuneta on Lucky Me noodles on the importance of eating together. To add, eating together fosters bonding among family members and could eliminate aggravation of family issues. It opens the line of communication among family members, thus, nurtures strong bonds and a good relations among them. It provides family members an opportunity to discuss things openly and thus feel the sense of belongingness in the family.
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