Family meals are one of the few family occasions where everyone can sit down, have a nice conversation and enjoy each other’s company. In a busy, hectic world full of responsibilities and expectations, family meals are sometimes the only opportunity for families to get together and bond. But academic and career demands have increased in recent years. There may be fewer chances for children to sit down for a nice homecooked meal with their parents and siblings. Your kids may always be busy with homework, and your spouse may continue working well into the night. But never underestimate the power of a family meal. They may just keep your family together.
Benefits of Family Meals
Encourages Healthy Eating
Sitting down as a family for meals is not only a social activity, it can also set a precedent for the lives of all those who participate. Especially if they’re children. One benefit of family meals is that it encourages your kids to have a healthy mindset when it comes to food. Studies show that kids who have regular meals with their parents are more likely to make better dietary decisions as adults. And family meals don’t only help in terms of nutrition. Some kids eat too infrequently, while others eat too much and too often. Sitting down for meals means that your kids will know how to space out their food intake throughout the day. This will in turn help them keep their weight down.
Prevents Psychosocial Problems
Children who have regular family means have been found to have fewer troubles with their mental health. This can seem like a stretch, but the surveys don’t lie. One study found that children who do participate in family meals experience less body image and self-esteem issues, and fewer depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. They are also less likely to be involved in substance abuse, eating disorders, delinquent behaviour and other psychosocial problems. Don’t underestimate the power of family bonding. It can change a child’s life.
Improves Communication
When everyone is gathered at a mutual place and ‘forced’ to interact, they are more likely to converse with one another. You may end up learning new things about your family when you start sharing stories, ideas and opinions. If you’re estranged from your kids or spouse, it’s important to make family meals a time to mend rifts. Get to know your kids and what they’re up to, even if they’re small kids. For those families who are currently undergoing family therapy to improve their relationship, family dinners also present the unique opportunity to implement what is learnt during counselling sessions.
How to Start Having More Family Meals
Utilise the Weekends
There may not be many opportunities for family meals during the weekdays. Breakfast may not be entirely off the table if you plan ahead, but lunch may often be totally out of the question. With your kids at school and you at the office (or at home, if you’re a house spouse). You may not have much time to prepare dinner after a tiring day at work either unless you prep meals. But not many Malaysian families may do so. Hence, that leaves the weekend or public holidays when the entire family is available to eat together.
Give Everyone a Head Start
Sometimes your spouse and kids may have other things planned during designated meal times like lunch and dinner. Your kids may have a playdate with their school friends, and your spouse may have a tv program they’re looking forward to watch. So ideally, a few hours, or even the day before the meal, make sure to inform your family member that you’re organising a family meal and that attendance is mandatory.
Turn Off All Devices
It’s important that everyone is focused on the food and on conversation topics during family mealtimes. Not on their individual electronic devices. And yes, this includes the television. It’s steadfastly becoming a norm for many families to have meals in the living room in front of the television. While this does give plenty of opportunities to interact and communicate, it does provide some distraction. So ideally, family meals should only involve the family and no other media. You may just only end up talking about the tv program or movie instead of what’s going on in your own lives.
Keep Things Positive
Nothing spoils a family meal more than arguments and bickering. So, try and keep any unresolved issues out of the dining room. Or better yet, resolve those issues before the meal, so that you won’t end up throwing insults in front of your food. It may be a good idea as well to warn your kids beforehand to keep the fighting to a minimum. It’s important to keep the atmosphere light and fun, and a good way to do this is to get the entire family to help with the cooking. Your kids are more likely to be motivated to join in on the meal if they’ve had a hand in its preparation.
A Family That Eats Together Stays Together
At the end of the day, family meals are just like any other family bonding activity. And any activity that involves the whole family is bound to have a positive impact on all those involved, both physically and mentally. So, make sure to plan a family meal the next time the family is all available. It may just bring you all closer to each other than ever before!
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