The Importance Of The Family Dinner

Gathering the family together at dinnertime continues to be a healthy plan.  The idea of family dinners might bring back memories of our own chaotic family meals during childhood or an episode of The Brady Bunch and much eye-rolling, but they do still contribute to a balanced, healthy home life for our kids.  In today’s world, we are busy rushing around to numerous after-school activities throughout the week.  Why does it always seem like the classes our kids want to take are scheduled right smack in the middle of dinner time?  While having dinner at the dinner table with everyone assembled, every night of the week might be a thing of the past, it’s important to aim for at least a few nights out of the seven, for a variety of reasons. 

First of all, health is a concern.  Childhood obesity rates have reached an all time high and have more than tripled in the last 30 years.  Specifically, the percentage of American children aged 6–11 years who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.  This puts these kids at a higher risk of developing health risks later in life, like heart disease.  Our commuting lifestyle and lack of time to make healthy dinners contributes to these numbers.  When we are driving from one activity to the next during the afternoon and evening hours, we are more inclined to grab dinner from a fast-food establishment.  This inexpensive, quick fix is generally full of fat, salt and sugar.  Isn’t it ironic that after spending the first 6 years feeding our kids healthy baby food, and making sure their meals are well-balanced, we then sign them up for ballet, AYSO or baseball and nix the whole thing?  Research shows that when families eat dinner together, they tend to eat more vegetables and fruits and fewer fried foods and soda.

Furthermore, eating together gives everyone in the family a relaxed time to regroup and find out what is happening in each other’s lives.   You and the kids will talk more, they will talk to each other and issues will come up that may otherwise be overlooked or suppressed.  With direct attention from parents in an open atmosphere, children will feel more important and confident.  It gives them a forum to talk about their accomplishments and obstacles, and important things going on at school, with their friends, or even in the home. 

According to Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2004, frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs; with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts; and with better grades in 11 to 18 year olds.  And, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University says that kids who eat most often with their parents are 40% more likely to say they get mainly A’s and B’s in school than kids who have two or fewer family dinners a week.

So don’t give up on the importance of the family meal and its long-term benefits.  For more techniques and advice on how to raise healthy, balanced children, try taking an online parenting course.  High quality courses, filled with today’s most current parenting techniques are available at the touch of a button from any Internet based computer, anywhere in the country.   They are interesting, informative and a good tool to use as your kids progress through different stages of childhood.