Family meals are about much more than what is served for dinner. Research indicates that spending time together around the table as a family promotes a host of benefits.
Family meals have been linked to improved communication skills, healthier bodies and even academic advantages for school-aged children. Harvard researchers conducted a long-term study to look at the effects of various components of family life to see which had the most profound impact on childrens’ development. When compared to story time, family events or even playtime, family dinners offered the most benefits.
According to The Family Dinner Project, a nonprofit organization currently operating from the offices of Project Zero at Harvard University, recent studies link regular family meals with the kinds of behaviors that parents desire for their children. These can include:
· improved academic performance,
· high self-esteem
· low risk of substance abuse
· low risk of depression
· reduced chances of teen pregnancy
· low rates of obesity
· low likelihood of developing eating disorders
Even though scheduling conflicts can sometimes make family meals difficult, 59 percent of families report eating dinner together five times a week, according to the Importance of Family Dinner IV report. Including the above benefits, here are some more reasons to gather around the dinner table four or more times a week.
Designated family time
Family meals allow kids to count on spending time with their parents. Consider turning off all electronic devices and make dinner time all about conversation. Such discussions can improve cognitive skills and linguistic development.
Decreased food pickiness
A 2000 survey from the Obesity Epidemiology and Prevention Program at Harvard Medical School found that kids between the ages of nine and 14 who ate dinner with their families ate more fruits and vegetables and therefore consumed higher amounts of many key nutrients. Family meals are a great opportunity to introduce new, healthy foods.
Controlled portions
Eating at home can help curb calories, fat and salt consumption by giving families greater control over the ingredients in their meals.
Discussed problems
Children who routinely eat with their parents may be more inclined to discuss problems that can, if hidden, develop into serious illnesses, such as depression or eating disorders.
Curbed dangerous behaviors
Eating family dinners at least five times a week drastically lowers a teen’s chance of smoking, drinking and using drugs, according to Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children.
Good grades
Twenty percent of children who eat with their family fewer than three times a week get C’s or lower on their report cards, according to CASA. Only 9 percent of teens who eat frequently with their families do this poorly in school.
Relieved stress
Adults benefit from family dinners, too. Sitting down to a meal can reduce tension and strain among working parents.
Family meals are important for a number of reasons. By understanding the benefits, families can increase their chances of sitting down together for food and conversation.
Metro Creative Graphics Inc.
