“In the home, around the family dinner table is where family memories are made.”
Eating is serious business. We all love food, okay…may be not everyone but I sure do especially when it’s so good! Family dinner time for me is a special family time which goes beyond just eating, to creating memories for years to come.
It creates an open window and a safe haven for all especially the children. It also fosters communication at the table without any distractions (the ones we don’t allow).
I have benefited from family dinners in many ways and what I am about to share with you, is one of them. It may surprise you, but it was at the dinner table my 6 year old mentioned the word “Sex” for the first time and also described it in a way a first grader would. Can you believe that?!? Sex and food don’t mix – at least not at the family dinner table.
He had somehow heard it from another child at school and to be sure I heard him correctly the first time, I asked him to repeat what he had said. Lo and behold! He repeated the word so innocently.
Prior to this time however, we had never discussed that with him (though we had planned to, when we felt the time was right).
Wow! Uh-oh…Now what? Well…we decided it was an opportunity for us to talk about it in a way that was appropriate for his age.
Whew!
Related: 5 Ways To Get Your Child To Love School
So why is family dinner time important for your family?
By engaging children in conversations at the family dinner table, you teach them a lot of things like how well to listen while also giving them the opportunity to speak and express themselves.
Doing this helps the child develop his or her voice in the family.
Take the quiz with your child to know their love language.
It makes them appreciate they are being acknowledged and are individuals whose voices need to be heard and not drowned out.
As a parent and custodian, you have the opportunity to show them how to take turns in talking (after chewing their bite of food) with the appropriate tone and voice level.
Shop Here For Your Dining Needs
Besides these, there are also many health benefits to eating together as a family.
Research has shown that having dinner together as a family not only has positive effects on a child’s development but also reduces the risks of obesity, eating disorders, substance abuse, encourages higher academic performance and fosters personal relationship development between the child and others.
Family dinner time encourages family bonding and helps the family be closely knit.
Related: Dinner Food Recipes
Table manners are good and I understand some families don’t give room for talks at the dinner table, but that aside, family dinner time is a good time to catch up on the daily occurrences that happen in the life of your child- especially if you are a parent who works outside of the home most of the time.
It helps you maximize the time you get to spend with your children, counting the moments while making every moment you spend with them, count.
In addition, family dinner time helps you teach them how to engage in conversations among not just themselves but with adults as well.
If you wonder how to take the bore out of your family dinner time and make it more fun so it’s something everyone looks forward to, these are some tips on things you can do:
How to add some fun to your family dinner time
1. Discuss each family member’s day
This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and have an idea of what is going on especially in your child’s life.
We all know how busy things can get either at work or what ever it is we pursue. It is important we strike a balance that no part of our lives suffer while others thrive.
Talking about each other’s day helps the family know what a typical day looks like for everyone.
2. Open the floor and allow everyone talk in turns
This could be ranging from what they need, to what they are excited about or something they look forward to.
May be a holiday, time with friends, neighbors or extended family.
3. Ask open ended questions
Ask questions that cannot be answered with one word or one liners.
Questions that would warrant a typical yes or no answer should be avoided as much as you can. This gives room for everyone to express themselves and engage in meaningful conversations.
4. Be an active listener
Listen attentively to what each person has to say so you can ask the right questions and give good sounding advice to your child where needed.
Ensure that your child is not distracted but listens as well. This is a good time to put away any thing that could be distracting including phones, games and toys.
5. Discuss age appropriate events and news that your child can easily resonate with
Talk about things going on in your neighborhood and happenings in society.
You could also discuss a moment that impacted you at work that your child can learn and benefit from or tell them about your childhood and how growing up in your times is different from what it is like today .
You may find that you don’t have time for family dinners all of the time.
If this is happening with you, you could designate a day or two where you all gather for dinner and spend time together as a family. It could also be on the weekends as your schedule allows.
How will you improve the number of times you spend with your family at dinner times?
Bonus Tip:
If you find yourself mostly on the road with your family and always finding a need to go through a drive thru to get something to eat (not advocating for junk food), that could be a family lunch or dinner time. Treat it just as you would treat a family dinner at home. Apply all these tips as you enjoy your meal in the car.
Are you subscribed yet?
