In the most recent issue of Time, there is a fabulous article about the importance of eating dinner together as a family. This is something that I feel very passionately about, and here are a few reasons (as mentioned in the article) why you should, too.
Families who make meals a priority also tend to spend more time on reading for pleasure and homework.
It promotes balance and variety in kids' diets. More family meals means less soda and fried foods, and far more fruits and vegetables.
Young children pick up vocabulary and a sense of how conversation is structured. They hear how a problem is solved, learn to listen to other people's concerns and respect their tastes. They learn to share.
Kids learn how to be civilized. They learn proper table manners.
It gives kids a sense of belonging to their family. This is where a family builds its identity and culture. Legends are passed down, jokes rendered, eventually the wider world examined through the lens of a family's values.
We always had dinner together as a family when I was growing up, and it is something that we do in our family now, too. It gives us a chance to be together without the regular distractions. My kids are little, and I know that this will only become more important as they grow. So as the article says, pull up some chairs, lose the tv, let the phone go unanswered, and see where the moment takes you.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
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that is really great, thanks Stephanie! You should post some of your kids favorite, or requested dinners, as I am running out of new ideas!
ReplyDeleteYou are such a a good mom and know how important it is to have dinner together. Manners make a difference in how people react to you later in life and the best time to learn them is at the dinner table. See you soon!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this article (I have to wait until I am at home because my parents still have dial-up and it drives me CRAZY!) - this subject is near and dear to my heart, too - I honestly believe that there are few things as important as eating dinner together as a family -
ReplyDeleteI agree that we should all do a recipe swap, as Tara suggested - wait for an upcoming blog entry of mine about it though - I came up with a brilliant plan to impliment in my blog where y'all get to play key rolls - very exciting!