Family Meals are Meaningful

Family meals are physically, spiritually, socially and mentally renewing.

“In fact, it’s the experts in adolescent development who wax most emphatic about the value of family meals, for it’s in the teenage years that this daily investment pays some of its biggest dividends. Studies show that the more often families eat together, the less likely kids are to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide, and the more likely they are to do well in school, delay having sex, eat their vegetables, learn big words and know which fork to use…If it were just about food, we would squirt it into their mouths with a tube,” says Robin Fox, an anthropologist who teaches at Rutgers University in New Jersey, about the mysterious way that family dinner engraves our souls. “ .

“A meal is about civilizing children. It’s about teaching them to be a member of their culture.”.

Important Reminder: Teens need this family renewal time to feel safe in the world, however, they are least likely to voice this wish or get this time.

Family Meal Tips:

Create meaningful meals with your children. Enourage them to plan menus and help cook.

Have theme nights: Asian Tuesday, Italian Friday, breakfast for dinner on rainy days. Be creative.

For Teens: Encourage sharing a quote or something meaningful learned in past week. Open dialogue.

Each family states what they are thankful for each evening.

Family meals offer an opportunity to connect and share.