The More We Eat Together, the Happier We'll Be

Researchers extol the power of family dinners. Eating meals together regularly can improve health, increase a child's well-being and bring families closer. It's also an ideal time for some BIG conversations. Even if you can only manage it a couple nights a week - or if your family meal turns out to be breakfast or a late-night snack - try to make it a priority. Here are ideas for enjoying your time together to the fullest. -- Jenny Friedman, Executive Director, ‘Doing Good Together’

Make a Difference...

• Spark conversations. Family dinners can nurture conversations that bring your family closer. To see some fun conversation prompts, print out our "pithy placemats." Or create a "conversation jar" for the middle of the table. Write fun intriguing questions on strips of paper (check out Talk About Giving or The Family Dinner Project for ideas), put them in the jar and take turns picking one out during mealtime.
• Eat ethnic. Learn about other cultures through their food traditions. Perhaps try a recipe from another region, or have a family meal at an ethnic restaurant. Then talk about the differences and similarities between the foods you normally eat and those from around the world.
• Create traditions. Mealtime rituals present opportunities to create regular opportunities for meaningful conversation and engagement while providing a sense of stability and security for children. Whether your ritual involves choosing a dinner theme, lighting candles to start the meal, giving thanks before eating, or posing a particular question to discuss during the meal, kids (and adults) will find comfort and pleasure in these traditions.
• Share responsibility. Our friends at The Kids Cook Monday! (check out their healthy, kid-friendly recipes) have chosen Monday night as the time families should cook together. Helping to make meals lets kids learn about nutrition, teamwork - as well as a variety of and skills like counting and measuring. Include your children in shopping and clean-up, too. Add a big-hearted dimension by picking up an additional grocery item for the food shelf, or cooking an extra portion for a neighbor.

Talk About It...

Here are some of our favorite big-hearted conversation starters:

• Who did you help today? Who helped you?
• What should we do more of as a family?
• What's the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
• If you had a million dollars and had to give it away, what cause would you give it to?
• What could our family do to make the world a better place?
• Name someone you admire and say why.

If you saw someone being teased or bullied, would you say something? Why or why not?

For more information about any of these services, contact Jenny - jenny@doinggoodtogether.org.