Get Back to FamilyDinner
By Dr. Lynne Kenney
www.lynnekenney.com
Families today are busy. Withafter school sports and other activities driving our lives, a sit downdinner often falls off the "to-do list." But a family dinner is morethan just eating vegetables: research shows that sitting down to dinneris an important protective factor in maintaining the health andwell-being of your children.
Dinnertime is the perfect opportunity to relax, connect and talk aboutyour day. It's a non-threatening environment that can really help yourkids open up to you and tell you what's going on in their lives. It'syour chance to get to know one another, learn about your likes anddislikes and create memories. Make it relaxed, have fun and enjoy.
Not sure where to start, here are two steps to getting back to familydinner:
1. Establish a set dinnertime:By making it part of your routine, it becomes a comforting norm. Dinneris anticipated and expected. You don't really have to be at the dinnertable in your home. Make dinner wherever you are. Family dinner cantake place anywhere, by the soccer field, in the driveway or whilewaiting for your daughter to get out of gymnastics. The key is to bepresent with your children, engage with them, take the time to get toknow who they are as they change and grow.
2. Engage your children in activitiesthat extend beyond the dinner hour: Help your kids do theirhomework after dinner.nbsp; Play card games, make-up math fact fun, orpaint, draw and write songs. Any activity that brings you togethermakes mealtime meaningful. Take your time, talk, laugh and talk forminutes or hours.
On the nights when you eat at the table, you can even establish aspecific theme for each night of the week:
Monday Night is Discovery Night
Bring the "Discovery Box" to the dinner table. Place unique, familiaror fascinating objects in a box and allow each child to pull an objectand talk about it. After dinner go on-line or take a trip to your locallibrary to learn more about topics related to the things in yourdiscovery box.
Tuesday Night is Reading Night
Prepare early readers by bringing everyday objects to the table thathave words or print on them, such as cereal boxes and other items inyour cupboard. Play reading and guessing games using the printedmaterials. Play games with the words, making silly sentences, tonguetwisters and fun stories.
Wednesday Night "You are a STAR"
Play find your "Star Word." Assign one word to each child. That is theword that makes them A STAR at this meal. Frequently occurring wordssuch as "The, and, it, him, her, she, he" are good beginning words.Then have each child bring a book to the table, choose a page, and namehow many times their STAR word appears. That number becomes the child's"Magic Number" for the night and every time he encounters that numberfor the rest of the evening he gets to make a wish or discuss hiscurrent life dreams and aspirations.
Thursday Night is Show and Tell
Play show and tell at your family table. Have your children bring anobject, a piece of art, a song or something to share. Shine the"spot-light" on one child at a time and allow only him or her to share.
Friday Night is Family History Night
Bring family photos, heirlooms or pieces of family history to the tableand talk about your family ancestry and historical family members' lifeexperiences.
Saturday Night is Game Night
Play board games, cards, chess or checkers at the table after dinner toenhance your family experience.
Sunday Night You're on Broadway!
Put on a show, dance, sing, do a skit. Laugh and "lift each other up"with genuine compliments, enthusiasm and joy.
Dinnertime is your time to connect so whether stationary or on the run,you enhance family relationships and help your children develop trustwhen you extend your family dinner with family fun!
Dr. Kenney is an avid writer,blogger and media producer. She co-produced six videos with BabyFirstTV, and appears as a resident expert on Sonoran Living ABC 15. Lynnehosts The Family Coach Solution Studio on BlogTalk Radio. Her BetterLiving Content has appeared on ABC, the Montel Williams Show, andvarious child/family websites (including Ladies Home Journal and BetterHomes and Gardens). Dr. Kenney is a consultant to The InternationalNanny Association and The National Head Start Association, for whom shewas National Ambassador, 2007. Find more at
www.lynnekenney.com
. Permissiongranted for use on DrLaura.com.
