Food, Family and Fun

Let's try something new! Eating family dinner together as a routine. Wow, what a novel idea! Research has shown that one of the characteristics of a strong family is eating meals together on a routine basis.

How long has it been since the whole family sat down to a meal together, much less on a regular basis? To do this you may have to set family priorities. The busy schedules that we have today do not allow for much time together as a family. In many families both adults and youth hold jobs, then there is sport practice, dance lessons, music lessons, homework, clothes to wash, the house to clean and possibly an older parent to care for. The list goes on and on and so do the excuses for not taking the time to eat together as a family. Maybe some activities need to be dropped so the family has more time together. Set a priority for the family meal, commit to it and allow no excuses from anyone to break this time together.

Just because you sit down at the table for a family meal does not mean that you will have an interesting conversation or warm memories. Families may have to work at having a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.

You may have to or want to eliminate distractions during family meals. Try turning off the phone. Consider getting caller I.D. so that calls can be returned upon finishing the meal. Also, turn the T.V. off. As a family, you want to relate to each other, not to an image on the screen.

Some other suggestions for building family traditions, improving nutrition and reducing stress include serving simple foods. You do not have to prepare a gourmet meal for the family. A tuna sandwich, salad and frozen low fat yogurt are just as healthy for your family as something that you slaved over the stove to prepare is.

Focus on food choices instead of quantities of food. Children will eat until they are full. It does not matter if they eat "one more bite" or belong to the "clean plate club." It is more important to provide a variety of nutritious foods that gives children a choice. It may be a good idea to let younger children help prepare meals. They are often more interested in eating the meal if they were a part of the preparation.

Even if you are in a hurry to prepare a meal be sure to leave time to enjoy the meal with the family. Share positive things that have happened during the day or have family members tell something that they learned that day. These are ways to get conversation going if your family is not used to being together at mealtime. Most important, be together and enjoy each others company while eating a healthy meal on a regular basis.

Debbie Wilburn is County Agent/Family and Consumer Science Agent with the Hall (770)535-8290 and the Forsyth (770)887-2418 County Extension Service.