The Importance Of Family Dinners

Photo credit: clintjcl

Modern life is busy. One of the first thing families give up is family dinners. It just seems easier to let each family member heat a plate of food in the microwave when they get home.

But research shows that giving up family dinners is a mistake. For many busy families, dinner is the best time to get together, reconnect and discuss the day’s events. Research shows that teens who rarely have family dinners are three times more likely to abuse prescription drugs than teens who do have family sinners regularly. Girls who eat frequently with their families are less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits.

These are my tips for making family meals a reality:

1. Start slowly. Start with just one dinner per week, then slowly work your way to more dinners.

2. Don’t cook every night! A family dinner is still a family dinner if the family sits together to share takeout or pizza. I serve “breakfast for dinner” once a week - pancakes, crepes or eggs and toast. The kids LOVE these dinners.

3. Make it fun. Allow each child to decide what to eat once a week. If you don’t trust them to make healthy choices, let them pick from a pre-written list of options.

To help manage busy family life, sign up with UpToUs: we offer online groups for parents that help classrooms, sports teams and families manage kids’ activities.