Take Time for the Family Dinner - written by Sheena Berg

Its well documented that children who eat dinner consistently with their families feel more connected, perform better in school and are less likely to be involved in drugs, alcohol, and other dangerous behaviors. But in todays fast-paced, taxing, busy world, there seems to be little time for getting together and connecting with family, and in blended families with transitioning children and jam-packed schedules, its even more challenging. We have the illusion of unity with our ever present cell phones, text messaging and email, but theres no substitute for face to face, electronic-free communication with family members all in one place.

One simple solution is to schedule regular family dinners. There are many good reasons to make the family dinner part of your routine as often as you can.

1. A study among 1010 young couples by the University of Missouri indicated that mealtimes, together with preparation, eating the meal, and cleaning up, provided valuable time for couples to bond as they performed this activity together. The wearisome challenge of balancing work and time together was significantly lessened and their bond made stronger by spending time together in the kitchen. An added benefit was that couples who started out their marriage with a shared mealtime custom were more likely to continue once they had kids.

2. Many parents struggle with the challenge of providing a nutritious diet that their kids will eat. Were all aware of the growing number of kids with obesity and Type II diabetes caused by eating unhealthy pre-prepared foods and by unstructured inactivity. Were also aware that children, even teenagers, can be fussy eaters, reluctant to move beyond their favorites of chicken nuggets, pizza and fries. Heres some encouraging news:

Researchers at Teachers College at Columbia University showed that kids in grades K- 6, who not only had instruction in healthy nutrition but also participated in cooking vegetables and whole grains, were more likely to eat those foods than kids who did not do the cooking. The conclusion is parents should provide nutritious food choices and involve children in meal preparation, in spite of the mess and reluctance to have little kids in the kitchen. If parents are concerned about sharp knives and hot water around young children, make sure the kitchen is safe for the particular age group. Not only will the children learn food preparation skills, they will be more likely to try the new and nutritious foods they helped create.

Action Steps

* Plan to eat a family dinner at least once each week where everyone is engaged with each other, face to face and not sidetracked with television, cell phones, or other electronic gadgets. Keep it simple with...

The entire version of this article and resource links can be found at: www.Blended-Families.com/stephero/family-dinner.php