Make Family Dinner Time to Connect

Today’s family is always on the go. Even the kids’ schedules are jam-packed with after-school activities like dance, sports, art class, religious studies, play dates, and more. It’s difficult for families to find any time to get together as a unit to discuss family life, how their days went, and to just reconnect with the ones they love.

It’s time to prioritize family, at least a few nights a week if you simply cannot do it every day, and bond as a group over dinner. Eating together as a family is important for relationships to continue to grow and to make sure the members of the family are in-the-know about each other’s happenings… even the small stuff.

Here are some tips to reconnect over family dinner that will not only feed your body, but your soul.

 

Prepare the Meal with the Kids

Get the bonding started even before the meal begins by cooking with the kids. Depending upon their age, level of maturity, and cooking skills, they can learn from “the master” and develop a love for cooking. They can help peel the potatoes, knead the dough, or toss the salad. Helping out with setting the table is an appropriate chore for kids too. It has also been shown that when kids help prepare their meals, they’ll be more inclined to eat it, so go for the healthiest ingredients you can get. As you prep the meal, talk about their day at school, your plans for the weekend, or how their friends are doing. Watch as your kids start to open up more and more and begin to look forward to this pre-meal together time.

 

Make the Meal Special

You don’t have to do anything fancy, but make family mealtime something the kids will remember as they grow up and look back on their childhoods. Take the time to set a nice table, don’t rush through the meal, and give everyone a chance to share their story of the day. Perhaps each kid can choose the meal once a week or you can have a special dessert on select family nights. If you are religious, say a nice dinnertime prayer or just give thanks for the meal you are fortunate enough to have. Make sure every member of the family sits together until everyone is through with their meal. And no texting or TV during dinnertime!

How do you make family dinner a time to connect? We’d love to share your story with the AMC community. For more info like this, please come back to visit AMC blogs regularly!

By: Melissa A. Kay