Turn Mealtime into Family Time

When I was growing up, we always ate family dinners. My dad was home from work by 6:30 pm and we ate together every night. It was a very special time where we talked about our days and shared stories.

Unfortunately for many, family meals have become less common as family members seem to have different schedules and arrive home at different times. I wish I can say that we have family dinners in my home now during the week, but this is just not so. That’s why it is even more important for my family to eat together on the weekends. We can sit hours at the table, even after we have finished eating, just catching up with each other. It’s great!

Summertime is usually less hectic and a great time to plan family meals. As we welcome the month of August, I’d like to encourage you to make family meals a priority. And, you may not have known this, but August is Family Meals Month!

Family mealtime doesn’t have to be just dinner. It can be breakfast or lunch as well. According University Nebraska-Lincoln, families who eat together are healthier and happier.

Eating meals as a family helps build close relationships with your children, allowing everyone in the family a chance to learn more about one other. This is also a great time for your children to practice their social skills, table manners, as well as conversation skills. In this day and age, kids are so busy texting, they rarely have an opportunity to learn how to “speak” to their friends, let alone speak to adults.

Family mealtime is also a great time to talk about nutrition, portion sizes, and to learn about the various food groups. Eating together with your children also gives them a sense of security. Studies show that a good sense of security decreases the chances your child will engage in activities such as smoking and drinking.

For me, dinner time with my family is a great time to talk about mindful eating. I encourage my kids (and my husband) to eat slowly, savoring each bite and to really appreciate the food they are eating. We discuss hunger and fullness and learn that we don’t have to clean our plate if we recognize that we are comfortably satisfied. It’s perfectly okay to leave food over and put it away for another day.

There is so much to teach your kids when you have family meals together. And there are so many great memories that you can make.

Your turn to take action: Do you have a favorite family mealtime memory? Please share with me below.