Why Family Meal Time Is So Important
>> Sep 22, 2018
It
seems harder than ever to find a few minutes with your family. With many
parents working multiple jobs and many children scheduled to the minute, taking
time out to spend together is often a pipe dream. It is important, though, that
at least one part of the day is spent together - mealtime. While you might
think of your meals simply as time spent eating, the truth is that mealtime can
be incredibly valuable to the growth of your child.
Spending your meals together will give your child a chance to not only learn
about proper nutrition, but to feel more connected as part of your family.
Modeling Nutrition
Family
meal times are very important to the development of proper eating habits.
Families who eat together are more likely to eat healthy. These meals also give
you a chance to model what proper nutrition looks like for a child who is
inundated with unhealthy images. If you cook healthy paleo recipes, for
example, your child will begin to associate those meals with healthy and proper
eating. Taking the time to sit down and eat together is a great teaching
experience that will give your child a chance to develop the healthy eating
habits he or she will need in the future.
Clear Communication
Dinner time plays a major role in fostering communication within a family. It's a time
at which everyone in the family must pause and spend time with one another - a
perfect time to talk about what's happened during the day and to connect with
one another. Setting aside this time doesn't just give you chance to talk about
what's going on in your life, but it also shows your children that taking time
out to do so is important to their well-being. If you want your child to learn
how and why communication can change relationships, the best place to start is
at the dinner table.
Fostering Belonging
Meal
times are also great for building a sense of belonging and mutual trust among family
members. The time you spend together allows you to better develop relationships
in a neutral space, one that encourages learning and growth among everyone at
the table. Taking the time out of your day to eat a meal with your child also
shows him or her that he or she is important to you - and that building a
relationship often requires more than just proximity. When you carve out part
of your day for a child, he or she learns that he or she has worth. If you feel
like your child is pulling away or that your relationship is beginning to fray,
sitting down to dinner every night might be a good place to start.
Teaching Expectations
A good
family meal also goes a long way towards teaching your child behavioral
expectations. If you want your child to learn good table manners, for example,
you'll want to model them at home. These meals can also teach a child how to hold a conversation, how to be polite to
those they don't know, and even how to do basic chores. If you have
expectations of your child, you have to be proactive in teaching him or her
what to do. Mealtime is a great time to teach your child what he or she will
need to know for the future.
Family
mealtime can be an important way to shape the future of your child. By taking
time out of your busy day, you'll teach him or her about nutrition, proper
manners, and his or her place as part of the family. It's a unique opportunity
to really bond with your child and reinforce how important he or she is to you.
If you're looking for a way to get closer while still teaching your child
valuable lessons, it's important that you start planning to have meals
together.
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