You are here: Home > Family and Parenting > Kain Na! 6 Things You Can Do to Make Family Mealtimes More Enjoyable

Ruth M. Floresca, Contributor

October 23, 2011

Kain Na! 6 Things You Can Do to Make Family Mealtimes More Enjoyable

Learn why it’s important to have regular family dinners at home and how you can make them fun for everyone. By Ruth M. Floresca

3 Comments
Add Yours

Eating together provides family members the necessary "check-in" time to stay connected with one another. Regular family dinners are much more than gastronomic experiences. The dining table becomes a conference table for light or serious conversations. It becomes a stage where parents can model courtesy and good manners to their children.

Sharing a meal together becomes a training ground for children since this helps them learn to share, help (when they pass on dishes to others), listen, and participate in meaningful conversations. The dining area becomes the place where good memories are formed and collected.

You should start the family tradition of eating meals together as early as possible. As soon as your children are able to take solid food, you should "induct" them to your family’s "diner’s club." Children need to know that dinner is something that your family does together at the dinner table and not in front of the television. You also need to let them know that the food will be served to them anywhere else. They have to go to the dining table if they want to eat.

Want to know how you can encourage your children to take part in family meals? Click through the slideshow below for tips.

For more parenting tips, check out these FN articles:

(First published in Good Housekeeping Magazine, Good Family section as "Dine In, Dine Together" in September 2009; photo by sean dreilinger via Flickr Creative Commons; adapted for use in Female Network)

Page 1 of 1

Tags: good housekeeping, family meals

Follow @FemaleNetwork

Join us on Facebook

COMMENTS

Name :

Email :

Website :

Comment :

Security Image

[change]

NOTE: FemaleNetwork.com is a CLEAN ZONE. Editors reserve the right to delete obscene comments.

Filter comments by:

AnneGEAM Oct 24 2011 @ 11:52am Report Abuse

Yes I completely agree that dinner table conversations are very important to family life. However, there are times when both parents have very busy schedules. When this happens what do you do? http://bit.ly/qe6nAb
Albert - ERT Nov 03 2011 @ 04:40am Report Abuse

Communication is very important and family mealtime is the best time.. :)
Mr.Janica Dec 13 2011 @ 11:24pm Report Abuse

the dinner table conversation is what we always dowhen meal time..we tell of what happen in the whole day..we laugh and then enjoy our meal at the same time..because meal time is the only time we meet..
YsabelKShop 4 months ago Report Abuse

Thanks for this post!