Child, Family, Family Life, Health

Eat with family

Eat with family
26 Oct

Eating out with the family – old-fashioned or still relevant?

In earlier times, family meals were commonplace. People gathered at the large dining table in the kitchen and there was no question whether all family members would take part or not. Things are very different in many families today. Due to the different working hours of the parents, it has become difficult to get the whole family around one table. In addition, there are many more leisure activities today than in the past. The son has to be driven to football training and the daughter to ballet lessons. The mother is involved in the school club and the father goes to tennis in the evenings. Such conditions make it difficult to eat meals together, since one or the other member of the family is almost always out of the house. So one is inclined just stepping into the fridge and grabbing a quick snack. (Tasty family recipes )

But eating together is still a good idea. It’s not just about food intake, it’s more about integrating meals back into everyday life as a fixed family meeting place. In many families it is certainly impossible to eat every meal together. But it would be desirable to gather together at the dining table at least once a day. Since most family members are not at home at lunchtime, it is better to have breakfast or dinner. Shared meals don’t fall into anyone’s lap – you have to do something to organize them. For example, the mother may have to get up a little earlier in the morning to have breakfast with the rest of the family. Or that the father – if this is professionally feasible – postpones his start of work a little. These small compromises are really worth it, because the whole family benefits from a cozy get-together at the table.

But what is so special about meals together?

Quite simply: this is where the whole family meets and it’s time to talk to each other. Together and not on the side, as unfortunately often happens when everyone just goes their own way and throws a few words at the other in a hectic rush. Children in particular appreciate it when their parents finally have time and really listen to them. The meal itself should take place in a pleasant atmosphere, as this makes it easier to relax and communicate with each other. However, serious problems should not be discussed at the dining table, because if anger and frustration dominate, the food actually doesn’t taste good at all and then feels heavy in the stomach. Therefore, if an argument is brewing, it is better to postpone the conversation until after the meal.

In addition to the opportunity to talk to each other as a family at meals together, the children are also taught rituals and values. Rituals provide security and values ​​are something like a guide that you can work your way along, especially when the storm of life is raging violently again. Meals together mean: we are important to each other! We enjoy being together and are interested in the things that concern us as individuals and as a family. This respect and appreciation characterizes from childhood and has a significant influence on the further path of life.

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Incidentally, our children learn something completely different from eating together: namely table manners. They orientate themselves on the big ones and instinctively adopt their behavior. As a parent, you don’t have to talk and explain so much anymore, because the children simply learn a lot through imitation. On the other hand, the kids get immediate feedback if something doesn’t go well.
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Eating meals together is something worth fighting for. Once the convivial rounds at the dining table have established themselves, nobody usually wants to be without them. In this way, mealtime becomes a time from which the entire family benefits in the long term.

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