• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

The Importance of Family Dinners

April 7, 2011 by Megan.Smith Leave a Comment

If your family is like most, your days are filled with chaos. Everyone is constantly running around in opposite directions for school, work, errands, extra-curricular activities, you name it. You may live in the same house, but oftentimes it’s almost impossible to get everyone in the same place to just spend some time together. The solution? Sitting down to eat dinner together at least a few times a week. Everyone has to eat and evening time is usually the best chance to get everyone to slow down and reconnect after long days before heading off to sleep.

Not only do family dinners promote better relationships, but research shows that eating together can reap additional benefits, especially for your kids. Many studies show evidence of better nutrition and less obesity amongst families who eat together. Others show that eating together leads children to behave better overall by enhancing social and language skills, getting better grades, and avoiding illicit drugs.

Here are some guidelines to promote stress-free family bonding:

Keep It Simple!

Don’t feel pressured to pull out all the stops on a gourmet meal. You’ve been working hard all day too! Whip up some easy meals and don’t feel guilty about ordering pizza or going out to eat at a restaurant every once in a while either. Try and eat at home most of the time, but the main objective is just to be together and stay connected as a family. Make that a priority and everything else will fall into place.

Get Rid of Distractions

Make it clear to everyone at the table that this is family time and not a time to be constantly texting your best friend. That goes for Dad and his work Blackberry too! Also, make sure to turn off the TV, but feel free to turn on a little music. Electronic devices keep people constantly connected to the outside world, but this is a chance to enjoy each other and the calm of home without terrible MTV shows playing in the background.

Listen Carefully

Especially if your kids are older, they probably don’t tell you as much about their days as they used to. Instead, they turn to their peers first and you might miss out on something going on in their lives that they might need help with. That’s why dinnertime is especially important. You have a chance to reconnect with your kids and listen in for clues just under the surface about what’s really going on. Listen closely and use this time to show that you are there for them.

Check out Libby’s Table for more ideas for family fun and make sure you “Like” the Facebook page here! And don’t forget to check out Libby’s Jingle Contest. Recreate the iconic Libby’s jingle for a chance to win $10,000!

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About Megan.Smith

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

What To Expect When You Are No Longer Expecting

The world is full of advice for pregnant and … [Read More...] about What To Expect When You Are No Longer Expecting

Must Have

ToniBox

Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

If you are looking for something to occupy your children … [Read More...] about Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

Did you know?

How Long Can Cupcakes Be Stored After Baking

How Long Can Cupcakes Be Stored After Baking?

pregnancy & tooth pain

Pregnancy & Tooth Pain

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb ?

toddlers and frequent urination

Toddlers and Frequent Urination

substitution for oil in baking brownies

Substitution for Oil in Baking Brownies

cooking with young children

Cooking With Young Children

How to Bake Thin Sliced Turkey Cutlets

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.