Family Dinner

A foundational piece of our routine, Dinner around the table together is critical to our family.  On multiple levels!   When I was growing up we constantly had family dinner while watching Peter Jennings World News.   All five of us would sit, converse, watch the news, and this routine occurred nightly.   The food was not gourmet and there were no surprises.   We just had dinner!

Fast forward—now Devon and I both look at our dinner time tradition as critical to our children’s outlook on the day, our time to connect with them, and the ability to have different conversations between everyone.  Our belief is not just how I was raised but there has been a considerable amount of research done here.   For example, young children have a higher vocabulary that consistently sat down for dinner vs children just being read aloud too.  Another study reported an association between dinner and academic performance.  Five to Seven meals a week were twice as likely to get A’s in school.    Both research points are significant in believing family dinner is a foundational piece to the development of our kids.

So, what is the secret sauce?   Family dinner is the time where we all get together to ask questions about our days, update one another and just be together. I attribute both kid’s demeanor to our family time spent around the table.  Dinner turned into a staple where we can unplug and be connected.   I feel that as our kids grow they will be comfortable approaching Devon and I because of this tradition.  What are your Family Dinner plans?