Family Meals: Good for Everyone, Not Just Kids
Family meals have been credited with doing a lot for kids, from reducing the risk of substance abuse and eating disorders to teaching healthy eating habits to fostering good relationships with parents. Turns out it's not just good for kids—parents also benefit from having family dinners. A new study showed parents had more successful and optimistic outlooks on their professional careers if they made it home in time for dinner.
A tip for successful family meals: Keep it simple. Just because it's a home-cooked meal doesn't mean you need to whip out your chef's hat—it's less about the meal than the communal aspect. As the Slate piece aptly puts it: "Regularity matters. Maybe the family dinner is all about getting into a rhythm: a steady drumbeat of mess, munching, and musing."
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3 Comments:
Not only did I once write something on this topic, it had the same stock photo, no less!
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mamster at 12:56PM on 07/16/08
It doesn't matter what you eat. Carry-out Chinese or KFC. The point is getting the whole family together for dinner every night. It sort of completes the day. I know it's tiresome, but when I was a kid.....yada, yada, yada...I actually looked forward to family dinners. Will kids today have that same fond memory that I do? I doubt it.
RichardCrystal at 1:10PM on 07/16/08
I couldn't agree more. Meals together bond families. Family dinners are necessary to the development of relationships, intelligence, and security for the kids, and a real way of connecting for everyone.
Brownie at 4:29PM on 07/16/08