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THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY MEALS (Shelley Eilerts)
For many families, eating dinner together has become a lost art. But it proves to be a simple, effective way to reduce the risk of youth substance abuse and to raise healthier kids. Eating with your kids on most nights of the week is also associated with reductions in school drop-out, teen pregnancy, and eating disorders.
Regular meal times provide stability. Kids need schedules and routine. They need things to be in order and to know ahead of time what is going to happen. It helps them feel loved and secure in a crazy world. Having a regular mealtime, the same time each evening can be very important in establishing and maintaining that routine. Even if your main course is pizza, try and eat at the same time as often as possible. If it just isn't possible every night, try for three to four nights a week. If you can’t do dinner everyday, try for breakfast or lunch, whatever gets the whole family there at the same time.
Eating together encourages communication. If you're sharing a meal, you are usually talking while you eat. Kids will often share things and talk casually while relaxing to dinner. It's a safe time to unwind and discuss the day's events. Use this time to check up on what’s going on in their lives, encourage them and compare schedules. The topic of conversation won’t matter as much as the fact that you are taking time to visit with one another.
Dining together also relieves stress. There is something just totally relaxing about sitting around the table with friends and family sharing a good meal. Do your best to keep your own stressors in check and allow the family fellowship to be a time to count blessings and encourage thankfulness.
Good food doesn’t have to be fancy food. It can be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or a big pot of homemade soup. Sharing, talking, and taking the time to eat is a great stress reliever. Making your kids be in for dinner forces them to slowdown and catch up with the day.
It's fun to eat together! Not every meal will be a party, but you can plan special times. Decorate the table with flowers or bright table clothes. Use a theme like Mexican, Chinese or Italian night. Get creative and eat outside if the weather is nice. If it’'s the middle of winter, have a picnic on the living room floor. But most of all, simply take the time to eat together. Neither you nor your children will regret the time and energy put into making mealtime a time to gather 'round the table.
