Embrace Dinner-Time Ritual

By Deseret Morning News editorial

No one is suggesting that it’s a simple matter to insist that family dinner be a priority. Between the children’s homework, sports, music lessons, extracurricular programs and church activities, and parents’ responsibilities and jobs, it can be a scheduling headache to ensure the whole family sits down to dinner.

But the dividends of this ritual are difficult to ignore. Numerous studies show that children who eat dinner with their families on a regular basis are less likely to use drugs and drink alcohol. They tend to eat better, get better grades and exhibit less stress. New research by Emory University professors suggests that dinner-table stories about a parent’s past or their ancestors give adolescents higher self-esteem and self-confidence.

A nationwide survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University suggests a rise in the number of children ages 12-17 who report that they eat dinner with their families at least five times a week. In 1998, the number was 47 percent. In 2005, the number had increased to 58 percent. What a hopeful sign.

The findings suggest that a growing number of families understand that face-to-face time enriches family bonds. Parents and children need to set aside time each day to reconnect. It is also a perfect time for parents to reinforce their family values.

But it does require some scheduling magic. Some families schedule family dinners late in the day — 7 p.m. or later — to ensure each family member is present. One family featured in a recent Christian Science Monitor column adopted a French ritual of a late afternoon snack of cheese, bread, yogurt and fruit to tide over famished children until a dinner at 8 p.m. Even with a late dinner time, children had plenty of time before and after dinner to finish their homework.

Still other families save time by using processed food or prepared food so food preparation doesn’t unduly cut into family time. Families shouldn’t subsist on fast food or frozen meals alone, considering many of those options are full of fat and sodium. But on occasion, such shortcuts are warranted if it means more and richer time spent with one’s family.

(c) 2006 Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.