Eat together as a family: How daily dinner builds love and relationships
It's a common question we ask ourselves as parents: "How can I build stronger relationships with my children?"
One of the best ways is to eat dinner together every day. We've all heard about how important it is to teach our kids manners, but did you know that eating together builds family bonds?
It takes time for everyone to sit down and talk about their day, which leads to better communication skills.
A healthy diet helps boost brain power in children, so your son or daughter will be able to learn more effectively at school. This blog post highlights 5 reasons why families should make time for daily dinners!
Build love and relationships on the table
The first thing we should talk about is that eating as a family helps build love and relationships.
Parents can teach their kids manners while they eat, and it's been shown to make both parents and children happier as they share a meal together.
Truth is, sitting down to dinner together as a family can lead to greater love and connection. Research done by Harvard University found that kids who at with they parents had a better relationship with their parents and were less likely to abuse illegal substances and become overweight.* The best way for children to pick up their parents' values? Be with them during moments when they're modeling those very behaviors.
With a family dinner, you can talk about anything. You can tell them about your day or just listen to their stories in turn. It's fun and will help build the love between you both: especially when there are kids involved, we should be spending time with them as much as we possibly can! Eating together is an excellent way to do that.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
The second thing we should talk about is that it sets a good example.
Children are always watching their parents so they will see proper etiquette and manners when eating dinner as a family, which can help them develop better social skills. You have that one friend that eats with their mouth open and slurps everything they eat. Don't be that kid. Teach children the polite way to eat their food. And for goodness sake, close your mouth when you eat.
Kids can learn to cook at home
The third thing we should talk about is that it teaches children to cook.
In today's world, with all these microwaves and pre-packaged foods out there, kids don't seem to know how to make anything themselves. So teach them! Show your child some recipes and let them experiment in the kitchen while you supervise.
It was a great experience in our own home when our eight year old volunteered to make dinner. She got out the recipe and ingredients and made a delicious meal, with supervision, but she did 80% on her own.
Don't be afraid to let you kids explore the kitchen. Teach them the simple things and let them tackle it.
Pick only the best foods for our bodies
The fourth topic we are going to discuss is learning healthy food habits.
It is not hard to tell that food from a fast food restaurant is not only a huge drain on finances but not the most healthy option on the market. Take the time to teach your kids what is good for them and make meals that lean towards the healthy side. It is okay to splurge on desert every now and then!
There are so many foods that really don't do us much good. help kids make the healthy choice. As reported by HealthyChildren.org, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day**, to fit that all on the dinner plate would be a lot to eat. Give snacks and meals a healthy chance.
Make Time to Have Family Time
The fifth topic is family dinner time. Easy enough, right? Just get everyone to the table at the same time and have a meal together!
It can be tough with all of our busy lives but it is important for your kids' health that they learn how to eat, as well as socialize, in a way that doesn't involve technology. This time should be technology free for everyone. No work at the dinner table, school or job.
It also allows for better communication because everyone is present at the table. It is our opinion that those who have daily dinners together are better communicators.
As children and parents become better communicators, they develop life skills that can help them in a variety of areas like school, work and, even family and social relationships.
The Soft Close
Parenting is difficult but it does not have to be hard all the time. It's our responsibility as parents to teach our children life skills that they will need in adulthood and show them what a healthy lifestyle consists of so we all can avoid common health issues that come with unhealthy habits or stress-related psychological issues.
We are starting to see more and more parents who understand the importance of family dinners.
By eating together as a family, you can teach your children how to communicate with one another, which will be necessary in adulthood. Cooking dinner most nights teaches them about healthy food choices and understanding what is good for their bodies so they don't develop unhealthy eating habits. With obesity becoming a problem in the United States, learning patterns early on how to treat our insides is a task that should start at home.
The roundup of family meals at home
Successful communication is very important for children to learn and it starts at home with family dinners being one area where they can learn the basics. Keep consistent and you will see some improvements in behavior, health choices, manners, communication and interest in cooking.
This last one would have been a stretch for me when my oldest daughter was very small, now she is older and interested and that has got the interest of her siblings to also get involved. My youngest is three and she loves stirring what's on the stove. Again, keep consistent.
It is never too late to form relationships with your children and start the process of teaching them new skills. Building a relationship starts at home, so set aside time for family dinners where everyone can talk about their day, share ideas and then enjoy some delicious food together. Eating at home allows us to eat a little healthy if we get the right menu.
Children learn by watching their parents, so model healthy eating habits and show them how to cook something easy like pasta without any sauce. They'll be proud of themselves after they make it! That's a great way for you to teach them about nutrition and give yourself some time off from cooking or looking up recipes online. If your kids are older get them baking a cake or something that requires combining and mixing various ingredients. You will be surprised at how fast they learn.
Options for eating out
If you are eating out, choose healthier options like grilled instead of fried. Stay away from red meats. Explore the salad bar.
If your family wants pizza then order a whole wheat crust with veggies and maybe some cheese for extra flavor on top; that way they get their fix without piling on the unhealthy toppings.
The family can still talk about their day, to. Or even play a silly game with the utensils on the table. Continue to build relationships even at a restaurant but don't let that be the only place it happens. Again, keep consistent at home to.
Don't limit your family eating time to tables. This activity can be taken to the park, in the car on a road trip or a day at the beach. The longer I have lived, the more memories I have gained around food. Be it at a favorite Aunt's house, a really fun date night out with my wife or eating on the back porch and watching birds, family meal time is really just an excuse to talk to your kids and keep building relationships with them.
I hope that this article has been helpful for you. I will be following up with more to come so stay tuned! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at dadhelp@betteringdads.com or comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading.
Resources:
*The Family Table - Well Guides - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
**Healthy Food Choices for Your Family - HealthyChildren.org