Busy schedules for parents and children can make having regular family meals a challenge. But there are many important reasons why you should strive to maintain this age-old tradition in your home:
- Family meals provide an excellent opportunity to get to know each other. Much more than food is shared. Family meals nourish the body, mind, and soul.
- Family meals develop important family rituals. Rituals are important to children; they provide a sense of security, unity, and consistency.
- Family meals build skills in children including the development of communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Family meals contribute to the development of self worth and self esteem in children and adolescents.
- Family meals strengthen family connections by providing a shared sense of belonging and an opportunity to communicate love, warmth, and caring to each family member.
- Family meals provide a sense of structure for children; they transmit family values, attitudes, culture, ethnic heritage, and goals.
- Family meals provide an opportunity for parents to monitor daily their children’s and adolescents' moods, behaviors and whereabouts.
Research supports the benefits of family meals