Enjoy Mealtimes with Your Family
You may regularly have meals with your family. However, are your family mealtimes pleasant for you and your child?
Mealtimes are a special time for you and your young child. It may be the only time of the day when your family comes together. Mealtimes provide opportunities for you to foster your children’s development, coach and monitor your children’s behaviour, and enjoy each other’s company. The benefits of eating together as a family are endless!
As a parent, you can shape the culture of the home. So make it a point to have regular family mealtimes. Encourage every member of the family to sit together at the dinner table. Research shows that while the numbers of families who have meals together remain high at 80%, that number in bigger cities is dropping quickly.
Reasons why you should Encourage Your Child to Have Regular Mealtimes with the Family
- Better Nutrition. Your children are less likely to skip breakfast if they regularly enjoys their meals with you and other family members. In addition, a higher frequency of family meals is associated with increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and other essential nutrients, and lower intake of fried food and soft drinks.
- Enhanced Family Connectedness. You more likely to pass on family values and tradition to your child during regular mealtimes. This can reinforce your child’s sense of belongingness to the family.
- Better Social and Communication Skills. Eating with adults allow your children to observe behaviours of others in a social setting. They also have the opportunity to practice social skills, resulting in a more sophisticated method of communication.
Ensure Better Mealtime Experiences
- Don’t Rush It
Treasure each moment that your family spends together at the table. Allow ample time to enjoy the meal and each other’s company. Avoid the temptation of rushing your child through the meal, as long as they complete their food within a reasonable duration.
- Keep Conversations Pleasant
Aim at having happy and relaxing conversations during mealtimes. Ensure that you include everyone in all conversations. Avoid bringing up unpleasant subjects or meting out punishments during mealtimes.
- Share the Responsibility
Involve your child in the preparation process. Let him contribute menu ideas, bring him grocery shopping and have him set the table. Your child will feel proud and excited to eat meals that he has helped prepare.
- Resist Distractions
Turn mobile phones off. They are not members of your family. If possible delay answering your hand-phones for the duration of the meal. Instead, switch your attention to your child and other family members.
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