We all know having family dinner is good, but did you know it can actually relieve stress, increase academic performance and improve all your family relationships?
I'll be honest, when I started the project of developing these homemade meal membership programs for you, it wasn't about all the benefits of eating family dinner together can give you and your kids. It was about helping you relieve stress and eliminate one thing you feel guilty about at the end of the day.
BUT.
I was sitting in a Sunday School this week where the topic of choice was courageous parenting and part of the information presented in the lesson were some pretty astounding statistics about family dinner and it impacts on health, well-being and academic performance in children. I was amazed you guys. Totally amazed. Of course, I had to run home and fact checks everything, because, hi it's me, but they were legit! Like straight up well-researched facts about how having family dinner together will benefit your kids. Are you ready for these? Buckle up my friend, this is gonna blow your mind.
Relationships
The Center on Addiction did a study that reported teens who have frequent family dinners {5-7 per week} are more likely to have high-quality relationships with their parents. It is no secret that teens who have good relationships with their parents are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. I think this is a pretty compelling argument for why it is so important to have family dinner together!
Younger children feel more secure and stable at home when family dinners happen regularly. They thrive on the pattern and all kids view family dinners as a way to connect with parents and siblings. Just chatting about the day is your kids favorite part of family dinner! Not only that, but this is where your kids are going to pick up on communication skills they will use for the rest of their life.
Family dinners also provide a sense of community and belonging since they are often cultural in nature. This means that when you use family dinner as an opportunity to teach your child where they came from {"This meatball recipe is from your great-grandmother who moved here from Italy, isn't that amazing?"} they feel connected and part of something bigger than them. In turn, that can increase confidence and security in who they are as a person.
Stress and Work or School Performance
A study done at Brigham Young University focused on how eating family dinner together increased performance at work and also relieved stress for working mothers. The actual act of eating dinner with your family can help you kill it at work! Now, I know some of you are questioning the last part, about how sitting down for dinner is stress relieving, but that is why I'm here, I'm here to help you eliminate the stress of getting the actual meal on the table!
Another study showed that teens who sit down for family dinner on a regular, weekly basis {5-7 meals per week} are less depressed, use drugs and alcohol less, and actually do better in school. This is AMAZING. Depression and suicide rates are increasing among teens, and if simply eating meals together will help that??? I have no words. That is incredible.
Multiple studies have shown that having family dinner together increases overall grades, individual test scores, reading ability and even more. Who knew that family dinner was so connected to student success? I love these statistics so much.
Health
It is no secret that homemade meals {even when not deemed a "healthy" dish} are healthier than processed or fast food. But, did you know that eating meals at home can also improve your health and your kid's health? Yep, it's true!
Kids who eat regular meals at home are less likely to be obese or overweight. They are more likely to learn portion control and to stop eating when they are full. This is because most of the time, kids who aren't eating family meals are eating out. Not only is this more unhealthy but it is very expensive. Homemade meals cost about half as much as meals eaten outside the home.
They also are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. I have experienced this with my own kids, but I had no idea it was an actual fact. These kids in the study also had higher levels of other essential nutrients, like calcium.
Family dinners are also a great time to encourage kids to try new foods. A study showed that kids who are repeatedly exposed to the same new food over and over were more likely to eat it by choice at the end of the study. Family dinners provide this same type of environment for kids to try and re-try new foods. It can take up to 10 times for a kid to decide if they actually like or dislike something, so always ask them to try something more than once. Actually, more than five times. Ha!
Click here to become a Homemade Mealtime Hero!
I hope these facts convinced you of the importance of family dinners. But does that stress you out? That's why I'm here! This is exactly why I developed these homemade meal memberships in the first place - I want to teach YOU how you can have family dinners with homemade meals frequently without all the fuss and stress. It's so much more than just another meal plan.
This is an entire meal planning and brainstorming solution, started and led by me but full of other people, just like you, who are trying to get dinner on the table. Sign up today for access so that I can teach you how to stock your fridge, pantry, and freezer so you always have something to make, and guide you as you plan meals for your family.