Sitting down together for family meals makes it that much easier to share stories and keep up-to-date with what’s going on in your kid’s lives.
“By engaging your children in conversation, you teach them how to listen and provide them with a chance to express their own opinions. This allows your children to have an active voice within the family”
So family meal time is an excellent time to teach the kids those healthy eating habits (and encourage them to eat their veggies).
Where possible, try to provide a balanced meal…
…but don’t be too hard on yourself when you’ve had a long day (takeaway is a backup when all else fails).
Try to get everyone involved! Family mealtime is the perfect opportunity to prepare food and cook together as a family!
Experiment with new recipes, prepare traditional meals with a twist, have theme nights or even invent your own recipes. (For a quick smile, take a look at this Kid in the Kitchen video).
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Did you know your kids can improve their language and vocabulary by simply sitting at the dinner table?
By listening to the conversations of parents and older siblings, young kids are exposed to ‘rare words‘ they would not come across in their storybooks or in school.
Studies have shown that regular meal times are a predictor of high achievement for older kids too. Even more so than extra-curricular activities, homework and sports.
Research shows that kids do better in school when they grow up in homes with regular family meals.
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Here are out 6 quick takeaways to get the most out of family meal time:
Keep it Simple – Don’t reinvent the wheel. Collect quick recipes & keep your kitchen stocked with all the basics. (And keep a conversation starter list nearby).
Plan ahead on weekends – Take advantage of any free time to bake a lasagna or make a pot of chilli. Freeze leftovers for quick weekday eating.
Involve the whole family – Work together as a team to share responsibilities. Even younger kids can help out by setting the table.
Make meal time sacred – Go beyond ‘getting food on the table’ and include 1-2 simple rituals that will make mealtime more than just a duty but turn it into a special moment in the day!
Turn off the gadgets –Turn off the TV, tablets and phones. Keep the dinner table a screen-free zone.
Use takeaways as your backup – Don’t let busy workloads get in the way of family meal time. Keep the local takeaway number handy just in case.
So that’s 6 practical ways to make family mealtimes more meaningful.
Questions for you! How do you make family meal time count in your family? Any secret tips to ease it into the family routine? Or make it more special? We’d love to know what you think!