We are big believers in eating dinner as family. We try to eat as a family for all mealtimes but that just doesn’t always happen because of various schedules. However, dinner is extra special in our house because it is always family mealtime. There is magic sitting down to eat together as a family. The ritual of it. The safety of repetition. The happiness of good food and conversation with those we love.
Benefits Of Family Meals
What is the importance of family mealtimes?
We cherish eating dinner as family because it brings us all together, face to face, to share our stories of the day. No tablets, no phones, no books allowed. It is special family time and something that simple and sacred makes it magical. Since family meal time is a routine at our house, it can sometimes go unappreciated in exactly how wonderful it is. But when I stop to think about it, family mealtime is one of my favorite times of the day.
Is your family eating together? Everyday we sit down together and say our prayer together out loud. And everyday, I really do feel thankful for my family and for the wonderful food on our table. This family routine is an important part of our family bonding and it helps keep our relationships with each other on a firm foundation.
How do you help your family members during meal time?
Family mealtime often involves the kids helping me cook a bit before we get to the table. They don’t always help out but when they do, it makes things twice as fun. They each have certain dinner preparation tasks they prefer. My daughter likes chopping things and my son likes measuring things.
I love that extra time with them and I like knowing that they are learning how to help prepare food. My daughter usually helps me make salad because she loves chopping and sneaking pieces of red bell peppers and cucumbers! My son helps me layer the lasagna with noodles, beef, spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and tomato sauce, because that is his favorite meal. We all help out when my husband makes tortellini from scratch- he says our little fingers are perfect for the job!
If your kids don’t like cooking, they can still help out with family mealtime by setting the table before dinner. They can also clear dishes off the table after supper. If they are old enough, they can also help with the dishes. The whole process of preparing for dinner and cleaning up afterwards should be a family affair.
Whether we are cooking with the kids or listening to them tell funny stories of what they did with their friends that day, we love family mealtime. And the magic of family mealtime is that we can count on it. We know that everyday, at least once, we get that time together as a complete family with nothing to do but enjoy our meal and talk about our day. You know what I’m talking about- the magic you feel when good food, family and friends come together. You know the feeling.
Put the magic back in mealtime by enjoying it as a family because family time is something to celebrate every day. From yummy recipes to funny moments to crazy weeknights…it’s all part of the package. Don’t let reaching for perfection stress you out. Here are some tips on how to enjoy dinner with your family.
What makes your family mealtime awesome? Do you have a funny story or cute family meal memory you want to share? Tag us @familyfocusblog!
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