A Complete Guide to Family Dinners
Research consistently shows that kids and teens who have family dinners three or more times per week are less likely to be overweight or engage in risky behaviors and are more likely to eat healthy foods, perform well academically, and have positive relationships with their parents. In this section we share ways to make family dinner a pleasant part of your day that everyone can look forward to.
What you’ll find in this guide
- Why family dinners are important
- Tips to make family meals happen
- Ways to make family dinners pleasant
- Frequently asked questions
Why Family Dinners Are Important
We’ve all heard the claim that family dinners are important. But is this actually true or just something everyone assumes without actual facts? To settle this question once and for all, we’ve pulled together a collection of statistics that highlight the importance of sharing a meal together. But don’t worry, we’re keeping it real and showing you how these moments of connection don’t have to be perfect or constant – even just a few times a week can make a difference.
The Benefits of Family Dinners
The research is clear: family dinners are important. Here’s why.
Learn More →How to Make Family Dinners Happen
With life being as busy as it is, getting dinner on the table can be a challenge. Here are resources on how to make family meals happen, even at the busiest of times.
The Scramble’s answer to the question, “what is family dinner?” may surprise you and offer relief.
4 tricks that help to get family dinners happening regularly.
Sometimes a busy work life can get in the way of an end of the day meal all together. Here are tips on how to handle the situation when one’s spouse gets home too late for family dinner.
Making family dinners happen when one parent is away can be extra tricky. Here are ideas that can help make it easier.
While many of us would love to be enjoying calm and idyllic family dinners each night, the reality is often far from that ideal. Here are potential solutions to 6 of the biggest family dinner obstacles.
The challenge to making family dinners happen is real, especially with divergent or packed schedules. Here are some tips and suggestions on how to have family dinners when you’re busy.
Not every meal needs to include multiple dishes. Here are tricks and ideas for easy meals to make during busy times.
Guess what, you don’t have to do all the cooking! Here are tips on how to get your kids to cook dinner, or at least help with it.
How to Make Family Dinners Pleasant
Grumpy and tired kids (and parents), picky eaters, and arguments can all make family meals less fun. Here are ways to make them a pleasant experience for one and all.
How to respond — without short-order cooking, bribing, or giving up on family meals.
Why serving food in the center of the table — and letting kids serve themselves — is one of the most powerful tools for picky eaters.
While nourishing food is important, so are nourishing connections.
Ideas and activities that will make family dinner fun.
Family meals can be hard. So in an effort to help your family find its own mealtime equilibrium, here are some different ideas that may help you to change the dynamic at the dinner table.
By creating the right environment we can get our kids to open up at the dinner table.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we make time for family dinner with busy schedules?
If evening plans make family dinners difficult, try switching your mindset from family dinners to family meals and then enjoy other meals such as breakfasts or weekend meals together instead. Also, make sure to check out our resources above that focus on this topic for more options.
What can I do about picky eaters?
The most important thing is to avoid conflict. Research consistently shows that forcing or pressuring children to eat specific foods tends to backfire — it increases negative associations with those foods and can make picky eating worse. The most effective approach, known as the Division of Responsibility (developed by dietitian Ellyn Satter), is for parents to decide what, when, and where food is offered, and for children to decide whether and how much they eat.
How do we handle technology at the dinner table?
The short answer: make a clear rule that there are no devices allowed at the table and make sure that applies to both kids and adults.
How do I get my kids to talk during family dinner?
One of the easiest ways to get kids to talk is to take the pressure out of the situation. So, instead of asking them about their day, try starting with a silly opening question or even a dinnertime game (check out our post of family dinner games for ideas).
What does serving dinner family-style mean?
Family-style is when you serve all food in bowls and platters that are put in the center of the table so that everyone can serve themselves. Serving foods this way encourages kids to have a sense of control over what they eat and can help with picky eating.
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