Family Dinner Time

(Image Source: http://www.playwithyourfamily.com/2011/05/family-dinner/)

Ready to commit to some family time?
How about starting small. Come together and eat dinner tonight!

I grew up in the Philippines and my family tried to get together for dinners and we were successful 50% of the time. Both my parents worked outside of the home so it was hard for us to find the time to collectively sit at the table to eat together. Not to mention that we were a big family and our dinner table could not fit us all. Most of the time we would eat in shifts. Those times that we did come together became one of my favorite childhood memories.

And that is why my husband and I work hard to make dinner time a priority in our family. The scheduled eating time has changed over the years, especially since the kids have grown and is participating in a variety of after school activities. Despite that, we never waiver.






Watch Dr. Christine Carter expound on the myriad of benefits of family dinners to children

Children benefits the most with family dinners. Not only will they come out of that activity with happy and full tummies, but they also gain the following:

• Better academic performance

• Higher self-esteem

• Greater sense of resilience

• Lower risk of substance abuse

• Lower risk of teen pregnancy

• Lower risk of depression

• Lower likelihood of developing eating disorders

• Lower rates of obesity

If you’d like to know more about the research behind the benefits of family dinners, Dr. Anne K. Fishel’s Food for Thought blog is a great place to start. These reports and articles are also good references:

• The Importance of Family Dinners VI, a report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University

• Share the Table: The Importance of Dinnertime in America, a white paper study by Dr. William J. Doherty commissioned by Barilla

• Of Ketchup and Kin: Dinnertime Conversations as a Major Source of Family Knowledge, Family Adjustment, and Family Resilience, a working paper by Dr. Marshall P. Duke and Dr. Robyn Fivush at Emory University

(https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/about-us/benefits-of-family-dinners/)

This all sounds good.
However, you still have some reservations and doubts.
We all have busy lives. Work, school, sports, music lessons; there are plenty of good things that occupy our time. But CLICK ON THIS LINK AND WATCH THIS FAMILY TAKE ON THE DINNER TIME CHALLENGE.

(Image Source: http://www.playwithyourfamily.com/2011/05/family-dinner/)

Family dinner time CAN BE DONE!

If you are ready to reap the benefits of family time you can....

1. Take on the challenge.


The Family Dinner Project is a non profit organization backed by Harvard University that provides ideas, resources and inspiration on how to get you started.

(Image source:https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/about-us/project-team/)

2. Schedule and Plan. 




You will have a higher chance of success if you set a set time for dinner and plan the meal. Scheduling dinner will depend on your family's time table, but make it happen. In my family that is around 6pm. And when sports and church activities conflict with that, we either move it up earlier or eat dinner at a later time. But we ALWAYS MAKE IT HAPPEN!

(Image Source:http://clipart-library.com/clipart/786089.html)

Need some ideas on what to feed the family? Start with this one...

(Image Source: https://www.artfrommytable.com/easy-family-meal-ideas-and-see-whats-new/)

3. Use the time to connect and talk

In our family we have a simple question that we ask each family member every night. That is, "Tell us your highs and lows today." This broad prompt gives each person a moment to not only reflect on his/her day but also to share something about themselves with the family.

                   (ImageSource: https://www.cheatsheet.com/healthfitness/unhealthy-dinnertime-habits-weight-gain.html/?a=viewall)

4. Share your story with others.
Nothing spreads the word faster than word of mouth. We can keep the movement going if we tell our family and friends about our positive experiences with family dinner time. You can join communities online, or even a simple "share" or "like" on your social media account can get the word out.

(Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/33284484730305516/)

I strongly believe that families all over the world will have better physical health and stronger ties to one another if we all commit to eating, just one meal, every day.

Written by: 
Grace Tolman
Wife and mother of 3 children.
Marriage and Family Science Student, Brigham Young University- Idaho