Fast food, busy lives, and the increase in the popularity of TV and the internet has led to a decline in the importance placed on family dinner — you know, when parents and children (and even extended family) sit down at the table for food, fun, and conversation. Some may even think it old fashioned or hokey to designate a time for the family to come together and eat. If it sounds a little Leave It To Beaver to you, think again. There are actually plenty of benefits for a modern family to sit down to family dinner. Here’s how you and your crew can make the most of it.

Why is family dinner important?

The obvious benefit of sitting down to dinner with the whole family is that you get to spend time together. It’s hard to get everyone’s schedules to align (between work, school, extracurriculars, etc.), and having a set block of time to make sure you’re all together is crucial. At dinner, families can connect, bond, and stay involved in each other’s lives. Furthermore, family dinner is also a way for kids to expand their vocabularies. A study found that kids learned over 1,000 “rare words” by simply participating in conversation at the dinner table compared to just 143 “rare words” learned by being read to. 

But the benefits go far beyond just chat time. Family dinner is incredibly important for your children, especially their health in relation to food choices. Studies have shown that kids who eat dinner with their families are not only more likely to eat veggies and fruits, but are more willing to try new healthy foods and less likely to overeat.

For parents, there is no better way to make sure your child is developing properly and happily than sharing meals. The American College of Pediatrics says that meals “permit parental monitoring of children’s moods, behavior, and activities, providing parents with insight into the emotional well-being of their children.”

How to make the most of your family dinner 

Once you decide to implement a family dinner policy, how do you make the most of it? One tip is to involve your kids in the meal — specifically, the preparation. Not only does this give you more time to spend together, but it teaches them how to cook, which is an indispensable life skill. FamilySearch.org suggests that you try to cook heritage dishes at least some of the time. This way, you can teach your children (and yourself, for that matter) about your own cultural history. 

At the table, it’s important to limit distractions so that you can focus on conversation. Implement a no-cell phone rule (that goes for you too). Turn off the TV. Keep dinner music low enough to facilitate conversation. Try to talk about topics that everyone can participate in. 

Finally, it’s vital to create a home environment that is stress-free and comfortable. Family dinner can be stressful if prepared and served in a disorganized home. Take steps to make your home a place where everyone wants to gather for meals. 

Everybody has to eat, so scheduling family time for this daily activity is smart and economical. Sure, life will happen. You’ll have work to do. The kids will have soccer practice one night. But as long as you make it the expected norm that family dinner is a mandatory daily activity, you’ll be on your way to developing better bonds. 
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