by Isobel J.

Created on: July 29, 2010

One of my favorite memories of childhood is gathering around the dinner table to eat each evening. My mom or dad, whoever had more time that particular day, would prepare a meal, usually pork chops or grilled chicken or steak or roast with a starch and a veggie, and just as it was starting to get dark outside, we would all come to our particular seats (we sat in the same seats night after night) and eat while talking about our days. My parents made a point of making dinner a special time for the family to hang out together. Especially when I was younger, age 12 and under, the TV would go off, the phone would not be answered, and we would just enjoy each other’s company.

Of course, as my sister and I got older, this became a bit more difficult. Often, I was at cheerleading until seven or eight at night two or three days a week during the school year. Even before that, softball interfered with the dinner hour. But despite these interruptions and despite the tendency, as we got older, to have dinner in front of the television or to have everyone eating at different times, the family dinners in my early years remain a particularly fond memory.

Family meals do more than just allow the family to have a dedicated time for communicating. Ideally, a family should be in constant communication, sharing important information whenever necessary. Family meals serve other important functions as well. Cooking healthy meals for your children will instill in them a tendency to continue eating healthily as they grow. Teaching them about proper eating through nutritionally balanced meals will be a lesson that will serve them throughout their lives. Helping them to choose foods that are good for them while teaching them to eats sweets and snacks in moderation will provide an early establishment of healthy eating habits.

In addition to teaching about nutrition, daily family meals can be a good way to get children interested in cooking. Younger kids are likely to want to help out in the kitchen, and you can teach them the basics of cooking. You can show them how to make family favorites, lessons which they can carry with them throughout their lives. At an appropriate age, kids can take over the family meal one night a week, preparing and serving everyone. This also provides a time to teach kids what goes into the making of a healthy meal.

Besides learning about nutrition and cooking, family communication is probably the most important aspect of having nightly family meals. In the harried rush of our lives, we often fail to make time for the really important things, namely our children and spouses. This is a great way to bring everyone together for a focused leisurely forum where everyone can say what they need to say, get important needs addressed, feel close to one another and bond with their loved ones. Especially in the plugged in, tuned in, electronically connected but interpersonally isolated culture of today, pulling kids away from the screen, the phone, the world of the web and into real, live human interaction is an important task for parents. Even if for just an hour, this human interaction will serve your children well.

The speed at which we live our lives can be disheartening and frustrating. It may feel like we are constantly moving but getting nowhere. Making a point of sitting down with the family for dinner as often as you can is a great way to recharge your batteries and put you back in touch with what is really important in life – and that is the people whom you love.

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