Dining In

Dining In

with Dr. Sandy Bailey

Family & Human Development Specialist
baileys@montana.edu

Do you ever wish that time would slow down for your family so that you could enjoy each other’s company? The idea of gathering the family together in the same place at the same time in the 21st century may seem impossible for many, but it can be done. Try planning family time around a meal. Eating together as a family may not look like Sunday dinners of a generation ago. However, the goal can still be the same. Family mealtime provides an opportunity to spend time with family members and talk with one another. Eating meals together can help families feel closer and provide better nutrition – two ingredients for happy, healthy families.

Flickr Photo CC by Paul Schultz

Family mealtime can happen with any meal – breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a snack! The meal does not need to be fancy, so don’t worry about bringing out the china – paper plates are fine! Research shows that eating a family meal together helps family members make better choices in what they eat. Children learn a broader vocabulary as they listen and talk with other family members. They also learn social skills that they can use in other settings. Family mealtime also sends the message to family members that family time is important!

December 3 is National Family and Consumer Sciences’ Day and this year they are promoting an activity of “Dining In.” Please help spread the word to families across Montana!

The theme is, “Dining In” for Healthy Families, and the goal of the campaign is to double the 2014 results and receive 200,000 commitments to “Dining In.”  December 3rd was chosen as Family & Consumer Sciences Day to honor family and consumer sciences pioneer and AAFCS founder Ellen Swallow Richards (December 3rd is her birthday).  Make your ‘Dining In’ commitment today!

For more information on family mealtime see the MSU Extension publication at http://store.msuextension.org/publications/homehealthandfamily/mt200403hr.pdf