{"id":3773,"date":"2019-05-09T08:41:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T16:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babysparks.com\/?p=3773"},"modified":"2020-11-09T06:46:27","modified_gmt":"2020-11-09T14:46:27","slug":"family-meals-the-many-benefits-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/babysparks.com\/2019\/05\/09\/family-meals-the-many-benefits-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Meals: The Many Benefits for Children"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-3786 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20208a-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Benefits of Family Meals for Children\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/babysparks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20208a-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/babysparks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20208a-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/babysparks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20208a.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Sitting down as a family to eat (especially with a wiggly toddler) may seem overwhelming. You have to cook, set the table, and convince your child to eat her peas rather than throwing them on the floor (while your own food gets cold). Why bother?<\/p>\r\n<p>As it turns out, decades of research say parents <em>should<\/em> bother, because family meals reap valuable, long-term benefits for children. The good news is that eating together doesn&#8217;t need to be elaborate.<\/p>\r\n<p>We&#8217;ll get to tips for keeping mealtime simple, but first let&#8217;s take a look at how family meals benefit little ones, through the story of a dinner. Note that the main character in the story is a toddler, but we think it&#8217;s never too early to expose little ones to family meals &#8212; even before they <a href=\"https:\/\/babysparks.com\/2019\/02\/07\/first-foods-tips-for-starting-solids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">start eating solid food<\/a>!<\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b><i>Highlights:\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research shows that family meals provide long-term benefits for children. And the good news is \u2014 family meals don\u2019t have to be elaborate!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Family meals have many developmental benefits:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mealtime chores, like placing napkins at the table, help children gain independence and learn how to follow directions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During family conversations, toddlers practice talking, narrative skills, and gestures. They\u2019re also absorbing new vocabulary and building receptive language skills.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watching the family eat healthy meals helps children learn how to make healthy food choices later on in life.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents can model self-care skills like using utensils and drinking from a cup.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Family meals are also a great time to practice manners and self-regulation skills.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It counts as a \u201cfamily meal\u201d even if it\u2019s one child and one adult, it\u2019s brief, or it\u2019s a snack.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The benefits of family meals rely on connection and meaningful interactions, so remember to put screens away during mealtime.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2>Developmental Benefits of Family Meals<\/h2>\r\n<p>It&#8217;s nearing dinnertime and a father hands his 22 month-old toddler, Carla, a stack of napkins and asks her to take them to the table. When she&#8217;s done with that, she steps on a stool and Dad helps her use a pitcher to pour water into cups. Dad knows that helping out at home <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/02\/27\/children-who-do-chores-become-happier-more-successful-adults\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">benefits little ones in valuable ways<\/a>, and these mealtime tasks are an easy way to build chores into Carla&#8217;s day. They also teach her how to <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/02\/15\/the-evolution-of-following-directions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">follow directions<\/a>, and are a great way to gain <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2017\/07\/24\/encouraging-your-toddlers-independence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">independence<\/a> and practice <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2016\/06\/15\/fine-motor-skills-your-babys-first-year-of-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fine-motor skills<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>As per their dinnertime rule, Mom and Dad <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/03\/20\/how-does-parent-caregiver-screen-time-affect-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">silence their cell phones<\/a> and leave them on the kitchen counter before heading to the table. The family sits down and embarks on a conversation (using a lively mix of words and <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2018\/02\/16\/baby-gestures-an-important-language-skill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gestures<\/a>) to talk about Carla&#8217;s day at daycare. During this chat Carla practices <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2018\/02\/14\/the-evolution-of-speech-12-24-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">talking,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/02\/20\/narrative-skills-what-are-they-how-do-they-develop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">narrative skills<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2017\/08\/21\/pragmatic-language-how-your-baby-learns-to-relate-to-others\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">social skills<\/a> like conversational turn-taking. She has other opportunities to practice social skills, too, like when she gestures for more potatoes and lowers her voice after Mom demonstrates a &#8220;dinner table voice.&#8221;<\/p>\r\n<p>For a few minutes Carla listens to her parents talk to each other. It&#8217;s one of the only times during the day that she&#8217;s exposed to their conversations, and her <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2017\/09\/18\/supporting-receptive-language-skills-during-baby-toddler-hood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">receptive language<\/a> is busy acquiring new information. In fact, research out of Harvard University shows that family meals build children&#8217;s vocabulary even more than reading to them, because children hear an impressive amount of unique words. (Carla&#8217;s parents still read to her every day, though, because they know it&#8217;s linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/02\/15\/benefits-of-reading-to-your-toddler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">many positive outcomes<\/a>.)<\/p>\r\n<p>Carla&#8217;s been eyeing the green beans on her plate (they&#8217;re not a favorite food). Dad knows this, and stabs a few of his own with his fork and eats them with gusto. His exaggerated enthusiasm makes Carla <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2018\/04\/09\/how-to-cultivate-humor-in-your-child\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">laugh<\/a>, and she imitates him. Over time, watching her parents eat healthy food at meals will land her in the pool of other children <a href=\"https:\/\/pediatrics.aappublications.org\/content\/127\/6\/e1565.short\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">who are exposed to family meals at least three times a week<\/a>: They are more likely to make healthy food choices, be at a normal weight, and avoid eating disorders.<\/p>\r\n<p>Throughout the meal, Carla&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2017\/07\/24\/when-is-my-toddler-ready-for-a-fork-a-guide-to-age-appropriate-self-care-tasks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">self-care skills<\/a> are hard at work as she tries to be just like Mom and Dad: Using her fork, <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/02\/26\/when-and-how-to-introduce-cup-drinking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">drinking from an open cup<\/a>, and wiping her face with a napkin. She&#8217;s also beginning to learn <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/03\/13\/why-manners-matter-why-its-never-too-early-to-teach-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">manners<\/a>, although her parents&#8217; expectations around manners are age-appropriate: They do let her play with her food (within limits), because she&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/02\/26\/feeding-your-picky-toddler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">less picky<\/a> when she&#8217;s allowed to explore food with her hands.<\/p>\r\n<p>After 15 minutes, Carla starts squirming. Her parents know this is normal, so they let her get down and play nearby. Over time, she will learn to sit for increasingly longer periods. That, along with learning appropriate mealtime behavior, will help build <a href=\"https:\/\/administrator.babysparks.com\/2019\/03\/11\/self-regulation-skills-how-to-lay-the-foundation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">self-regulation skills<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>If they continue to eat together, research says that Carla is likely to feel bonded with her family, and experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jahonline.org\/article\/S1054-139X(05)00577-X\/abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">less depression, anxiety, stress and substance abuse<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>So we know family meals are linked with a host of benefits for little ones, but they may feel hard to pull off. We&#8217;ve gathered tips from experts to help you keep them simple.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Tips for Family Meals<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>It&#8217;s a &#8220;family meal&#8221; even if:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>It&#8217;s just one child and one adult<\/li>\r\n<li>It&#8217;s brief<\/li>\r\n<li>It&#8217;s a snack<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Keep it simple by:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Cooking a large batch of something over the weekend to reheat for weekday meals<\/li>\r\n<li>Prepare quick meals (The Family Dinner Project is a great resource for <a href=\"https:\/\/thefamilydinnerproject.org\/food\/?_sft_post_tag=quick\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quick, healthy recipes<\/a>)<\/li>\r\n<li>Toss ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning so they&#8217;re ready at dinnertime<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Skip electronics because:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>The benefits of family meals rely on family members connecting with each other. Personal screens are connection crushers.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>About frequency:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>If it&#8217;s hard to imagine finding time for family meals, start with one a week. It can be breakfast, weekend lunch, dinner, or a snack. Once that feels manageable, increase the frequency from there. The Family Dinner Project notes that even one shared meal a week can benefit a family.<\/p>\r\n<p>Lastly, if you want tips for encouraging all of the mealtime learning we highlighted above, our BabySparks program is full of ideas!<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sitting down as a family to eat (especially with a wiggly toddler) may seem overwhelming. You have to cook, set the table, and convince your child to eat her<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3786,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,14,21,22,23,24,25],"tags":[8,29,51,54,897,1594,1687,2786,2788,3278],"age":[64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71],"class_list":["post-3773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cognitive","category-speech","category-fine-motor","category-sensory","category-self-care","category-social-emotional","category-health-nutrition","category-parenting","tag-language-skills","tag-language","tag-chores","tag-independence","tag-nutrition","tag-self-care","tag-toddler","tag-family-meal","tag-fine-motor-skills","tag-baby-2","age-0-3-months","age-4-6-months","age-7-9-months","age-10-12-months","age-13-15-months","age-16-18-months","age-19-21-months","age-22-24-months"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.12.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["en","es"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.2 (Yoast SEO v25.2) - 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