The Family That Eats Together…

Our little family is growing older, and the kids’ schedules are only getting crazier.

With two girls in competition dance, we get home from the studio between 7-7:30 three nights a week. And my son’s baseball schedule this spring means an additional later evening.

One thing I’m unwilling to budge on? Family dinners together.

Family dinners are where everyone lets their guard down, talks about the highs and lows of their day, and we’re all gathered together in one place for longer than any other time during the day.

Because of our nutty schedule, our dinners together may not look like everybody else’s. We often eat at 7:40 pm (yes, even my just-turned 6 year olds wait to eat until nearly 8 pm). It’s not ideal, but it’s important enough to me to make not ideal the way that works.

I’m passionate about our time together, and I believe that’s important for every family to find a time that works for them. Another family from our dance studio often brings dinner there, and they eat together and discuss their day in this non-traditional manner. For some families, breakfast may be the only time that they all cross paths – if that’s the case for you, I encourage you to sit down together and eat your cereal and chat.

There are numerous studies that show when young children are a part of regular meals with their family, their vocabulary improves and they develop a better sense of belonging – and in turn, better self-esteem. Kids who report eating with their family members on a regular basis also have an overall better chance of excelling academically, and are less likely to get into trouble with drugs and alcohol. There are tons of compelling reasons why you should find time to eat with your kids.

Me? I just like being with them. I like sitting next to my husband and seeing those little faces across from me, earnestly sharing their thoughts on this and that. Call me selfish – I just want them with me as much as possible for as long as possible. Before long, they’ll be more likely to hang out with their friends than me. I’m going to capture as much time with them as I can.

And it starts with dinner.