Every week I try to sit down to dinner with my family. Because of work, we can't do it every day, but I'd love to, because when we do, I feel like it helps us bond. Just tonight, when we were all sitting down, I sighed. Simply sitting at the table with my family calms me down.
There are quite a few studies that list the benefits of sitting down to eat together, from imparting traditions and values to demonstrating communication and problem-solving styles.
Furthermore, according to studies such as those listed in this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics , children and adolescents would have better academic performance, better eating habits, a healthier weight, and even a lower incidence of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use.
I don't think anyone needs convincing that having dinner together is a good idea; the hard part is actually doing it. However, studies show that the benefits are seen even with just one or two family meals a week. This is a fairly easy amount to achieve despite work, sports, extracurricular activities, and so on.
These are my tips for achieving at least those two family meals:
- Think beyond dinners. For us, because of the type of work my husband does, breakfasts are easier to do as a family every day than dinners. They aren't long, and we're almost never all sitting down at the same time, but we are all together in the kitchen chatting.
- Families come in all shapes and sizes. We have a friend who's a single mother, and many weeks we have "family dinners" together with our kids. It's always a lot of fun.
- Schedule at least one meal a week. Many families get together for a meal on the weekend, which is great, but not everyone has grandparents nearby. However, you can certainly have that weekend meal with just your immediate family. Even if there are only three or four of you, eating together as a family is still lovely, fun, and beneficial.
- Don't overcomplicate things. While the image of a family meal with a perfectly set table is ideal, it doesn't have to be that way. A simple, homemade meal prepared together is wonderful, even if it's not served on a beautifully decorated table.
I hope this encourages you to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with your family at least a couple of times this week.