They say the fondest memories are made when gathered around the table. And when it comes to eating as a family, there’s nothing truer.
In the busy world we all live in, it’s hard to get everyone together at the table every night but it’s becoming more important for that exact reason.
The nightly routines are a challenge in themselves – you’re racing home from work, trying to get the bath done, trying to stick to the bedtimes your sleep consultant told you are ‘ideal’ to help with your exhaustion from overnight waking while appeasing your toddler with (another) story time… it’s all you can do to get the kids fed and fall onto the couch with the leftovers from your toddler’s plate – we hear you!
It's essential to try
Let’s talk about why eating together is so important.
Children develop healthy eating habits and are more inclined to eat a broader range of foods when that behaviour is modelled to them. Children learn through social observation so when they see their parents and siblings eating certain foods or trying foods for the first time, they will be more likely to do so themselves.
Learning to connect as a family is so important, not only for the family unit but for brain and language development, social skill development and self-esteem. Studies have shown that children exposed to adult conversation are more likely to have a broader vocabulary and are more able to thrive in social settings.
In fact, a study conducted by The National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University states that, “the more often children eat dinner with their parents, (five to seven times each week) are less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use illicit drugs.”
It’s more than the food children consume, although, a BMC Public Health study, identified the home food environment accounted for 48% of the variation in the child's fruit and vegetable score. It’s about the connections, the conversations, and the family unit too. Shared meals;
- Deepen familial bonds
- Boost self-esteem
- Lower screen time
- Increase teaching opportunities
It can be really fun!
We’ve already touched on the challenges that time throws at us but let’s assume that you’ve already set a day. We’re going to look at how to get everyone involved in this magical mealtime.
- Provide a range of foods that are both preferred and non-preferred and open up a conversation about trying new foods.
- Put dishes on the bench or table and let children choose foods for their own plates.
- Get the children to choose food from the supermarket, and let them help to prepare, wash and cook the dinner.
- Have children set the table places, including placemats and cutlery.
- Describe foods throughout your meal. Talk about the texture and taste, avoiding letting the table know if you think it’s delicious or not.
- Get children to help clear the table.
- Have children help in the kitchen with the washing up chores.
- Have a chat about other food they have tried and when. They might tell you about the meals or snacks they had at childcare that week or how they cooked up some scones with their educator.
Let’s not scrap the meal idea altogether, let’s work on a solution that makes everyone happy and involved.
So, pick a time and stick to it. Calendar that meal, it’s set. It might be when the nightly the commute is quieter, you're able to leave work earlier or there are no extracurricular activities, like swimming lessons. It could be the day on the weekend that isn’t full of chores and preparation. It might even be a breakfast that you choose to go out and eat.
However it looks, gather around and enjoy as many regular family meals as you can. Once you have booked in a few, you're going to crave more!
How many family meals woud you eat in a week?
