Life is hectic, especially for families. Baseball practice
overlaps with debate club, which overlaps with ballet class, which ends 10
minutes before parent-teacher conferences. Doctor’s appointments, tennis
lessons, tutoring, homework, work meetings, grocery shopping, bill paying—all
of our responsibilities fuse into an intimidating cloud of busy. Meals become a frustratingly necessary part of our day, and
food is suddenly all about convenience and efficiency.
Dinnertime just doesn’t seem as pressing as “SAT prep” or
“dance recital,” and we get that. So we’ve put our heads together to come up
with a few important reasons why you should prioritize dinnertime—and why your
family will thank you.
Communication. No
matter what age we are, talking with people older and younger than us is a
useful way to learn effective communication. Parents and older siblings teach
younger family members new words, and conversations with adults challenge kids
to speak eloquently—or at least without using the words “like,” or “um.”
Arguments that inevitably erupt at the dinner table require conversation and
reason, not foot stomping and door slamming. When leaving the room is no longer
an option, we challenge our kids to calmly face conflicts as they arise. At the
dinner table, fights become debates, and petulance no longer passes as a valid
way to win.
Justice. As silly
as it sounds, the family unit is a child’s first introduction to the justice
system. The best place to make a case—or appeal a previous ruling—is at the
dinner table. Kids learn how to argue meaningfully with adults, using facts and
reason. They learn how to evaluate and negotiate with their audience.
Values. Family
dinners foster conversations about everything from weather to politics to gossip
to grades. Sitting down to family dinner, you are not distracted by technology
or the work that is crowding your life; you are fully present for your family,
and you are completely attentive to your children. Dinners keep your family
connected.
Manners. A
toddler’s messy affection for pasta sauce might be endearing now, but
eventually that toddler will be going on dates and attending business dinners.
It’s almost guaranteed that your child will not be making a business deal after
dipping an investor’s tie in steak sauce. Family dinners help teach your kids
how to behave properly at the table, and trust us, the world thanks you.
*image courtesy of Shutterstock
