If you’re looking for a simple way to keep your child healthy and drug-free – and who isn’t? – try making the family meal more of a habit.
That’s right. Gathering around the table to dine, even if it’s just once a week, is one of the best ways to promote healthy eating and family communication.
When parents sit down to eat with their children, the meal is more likely to be healthy and balanced, according to the American Dietetic Association.
Studies have also shown that teens who have frequent family dinners are three-and-a-half times less likely to abuse prescription and illegal drugs (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse). Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, including such disorders as anorexia (University of Minnesota School of Public Health).
Important as they are, family meals have become endangered in our frantic, fast-paced lives. With parents working multiple jobs and kids involved in numerous sports and activities, families are lucky to find time to eat at all, let alone together.
But most every family can manage to eat together once a week. If not dinner, then breakfast, or even a healthy snack.
What happens around the act of eating is as important as the eating itself. When we make a habit of dining together, we keep the doors of communication open. We show our children that they are our first priority.
Family-style group meals are an important part of the day here at Childhaven, not just for the nutrition they offer, but for what they teach. Following the adult role model at their table, children learn manners, communication skills and personal responsibility. Even the youngest bus their dirty dishes.
Here are some tips for making the most of mealtime at your home:
● Plan ahead so you have a variety of healthy foods ready to prepare. If your child is old enough, get them involved in the planning and preparation as well as the cleanup.
● Use the meal for social conversation just as you would if you were going to dinner with friends. This isn’t the time to try to resolve thorny family problems. If one comes up, table it for discussion later.
● Don’t overload the plates of very young children. Their servings should be a quarter to a third the size of an adult portion.
● Children generally eat when they are hungry and stop when they are satisfied. Don’t force them to clean their plates or eat foods they don’t want.
● Serve a variety of items from at least three different food groups. Don’t become your child’s short-order cook if he rejects the choices offered.
● Serve new foods with one thing you know your child will eat. Young children often need to be exposed to a new food several times before they will accept it.
Turn off the television and other distractions while you eat.
● Be a good role model. If you want them to drink milk and eat their fruits and vegetables, do likewise.
Debra C. Ronnholm is president of Childhaven. Since 1909, Childhaven has been a safe and caring place for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. For more information, visit the Web site at www.childhaven.org.
