Is dinnertime at your home a family affair?

Dinnertime at most homes begin with a search for the television remote. If same is the case in your family, consider yourself on the right page!

Rather than an unhealthy fashion of staring at the TV while having our meals, we need to adopt a healthier lifestyle with multiple benefits. In our fast paced life we hardly get time to spend with family except on weekends which are mostly spent in malls or on outings.

Turning dinnertime into a family affair resolves this issue making it a great medium to connect. Regular conversations around the table make kids feel happier and behave better. While improving their vocabulary and general knowledge they develop better self-esteem and excel in studies and sports as well. Sharing family history and stories of your shared past creates strong and secure emotional bonds which aid healthy functioning of your family.

A family that comes together at dinner time benefits from the goodness of home cooked meals. Wholesome meal served on the dinner-table is full of nutrients unlike the packaged food we grab and munch while on the go leading to obesity and other health problems.

Below are a few tips to help you organise fun family dinners:

Not all family members may be able to join in at dinnertime every day. Leaving aside those days, schedule your weekly ‘Family Dates’ by aiming at three such dinners per week.
Unplugging the TV, switching off mobiles or being electronically disconnected will surely cause inconvenience at first and some may even resist. By you being firm, they will soon notice the benefits and instead of considering it as an obligation they shall look forward to it. You will be having real conversations, a give-n-take of ideas, telling stories and experiences to kids while improving the family bonding on the whole.
To make it interesting for small kids, you may start a guessing game of ‘What’s on my plate?” wherein kids need to guess the names of veggies and other ingredients building their interest in the food they eat, aiding digestion. For older kids you could play ‘Name the country’ or ‘Rapid Fire’. It will not only be a jolly time but add to their knowledge as well.
Assigning age appropriate tasks to everyone reduces time taken to cook up a nice meal and doubles up as a good team-building exercise. Small children can wash or peel while older kids chop veggies and lay the table. Their father may grill while the mother gets food ready to be served.
Bring some colour to your dining table. Let the kids light scented candles while you arrange pretty flowers and turn it into a lovely area to dine in! At times you may use dinner-mats with their favourite cartoon character or superheroes.
Some families practice joining hands, praying or saying grace at mealtime which brings positivity to the table. A mere thank you or words of appreciation, even for those who took efforts to put the food on your plate works wonders.

If habituated to eating at different timings, it would definitely take a while for some to adjust but it’s doable! It is family dinners like these that will create memories for your children to cherish over a lifetime.