Time for Dinner!!!

Research shows that eating a family meal on a regular basis, at home, with the television off, has resulted in lower risky behaviors, better grades, better communication skills, more family satisfaction, better job outcomes and many other positive things (Larson et al. 2007; Eisenberg, 2004; Chan & Sobal, 2011; Hunt et al. 2011; Sen, 2010; Rothon et al. 2011).  Yet, despite all of these benefits to sitting a family down together to eat and discuss the happenings of each person’s life, the frequency of family meals is declining (Hunt et al., 2011).  Studies have also shown a direct link between the decline in family meals and the increasing childhood obesity epidemic.

How many family meals per week does YOUR family eat together?  If it is infrequent, you are not alone.  Hunt et al. recognize that the modern day family is getting busier, with many social pressures to put in extra hours at the office, have children in many extracurricular activities, have two working parents and so on.  With all of these demands on time, it seems almost impossible to fit in the hour or two it takes to prepare a homemade meal, sit down to eat, then clean up afterward.

This is when you should ask yourself what your priority is.  If you believe that the benefits of family mealtime outweigh the investment of sacred time when it comes to your children, then there are many things you can do to simplify or quickly gain cooking skills that will help make this priority a possibility.  Refer to our “Community Resources” tab to find links to cooking classes, recipe websites, YouTube videos, community child cooking programs and so forth.

The research shows the benefits associated with family mealtime.  I have shown you some possible ways you can make it happen even in your busy life.  Hopefully, you will now act upon this knowledge and increase the number of times you sit down with your family for a homemade meal.

(For more information on studies on family mealtimes, refer to our report on Parental Influence on Childhood Obesity Outcomes in the “Literature to Read” tab)