Each night my family has a meal together sitting around the dinner table. The reason I mention this is that lately my children have mentioned that their friends either sit in front of the TV or in their room. Then they started to tell me that most nights they just grab cereal or toast which I find a little concerning.
Eating together as a family is more important today than in the past because there are more competing distractions, more choices of activities outside the home, and a constant bombardment of information from modern technology. Our children are learning about the world from many sources, often without parental filters or input. Even when everyone is home, individuals do their own thing. Perhaps the only opportunity of the day to talk with each other is at the dinner table.
Children in today’s busy world need a shared, safe space to discuss ideas within the understanding company of family, and parents need a routine time to connect with kids.
The way it was
Dining was about the family, not the ‘me’ so many families have evolved into. There wasn’t a separate menu for each person. If someone didn’t like something they were faced with ‘that’s what I’ve made so that’s what you’re eating’ and I also remember being more enthusiastic about the dishes that I took part in producing.
Why we don’t eat together as much today
In recent times people have moved from cooking at home to eating out because they think they don’t have time to cook.
If you think about it, when you count packing the family into the car, driving to the local takeaway, standing in line or driving through, waiting for your food, paying the bill of 40 or 50 dollars and then driving back home, have you saved any time at all? No, definitely not. And you’ve probably spent four times the money you would have if cooking at home.
The variety and convenience of ‘fast food’ has certainly taken a bite (ha ha) out of family mealtimes.
The benefits of eating family meals together
While our smart phones and devices have brought us closer to the rest of world, it is the family meal that brings us closer to our own family. The fabric of family is woven by shared experiences and time spent together. Here are some things I believe we gain when we share meals as a family:
– Eating together is more efficient, less expensive and healthier.
– Eating together teaches children food sustainability.
– Eating together builds closer relationships within the family.
You may be surprised to know that sharing meals together cuts down chances of your child being involved with drugs or alcohol.
Who knew sharing meals could be so important! By eating together regularly you can help your child do better at college, be safer in the community and make better food choices.
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