Family Meals Benefit the Entire Family
Since March is National Nutrition Month, we wanted to remind you that how you feed your child matters as much as what you feed them. While we recognize the importance of feeding your child a healthy variety of foods, this blog is not about that. It is about the benefits you and your child will receive when you make time to sit down and eat meals together. We know that as a parent of a young child, you may feel as if your days revolve around meal and snack time, making it easy to fall into the trap of just feeding your child quickly and checking your phone for messages or moving on to cleaning up the kitchen while they are occupied and eating.
However, in the spirit of National Nutrition Month, we challenge you to create a healthy habit of your own: for the next 30 days, prioritize snack and meal time with your young child. Take time to sit down and eat meals with your toddler, giving them your undivided attention. Here are some reasons why you’ll be glad you did:
Eating Together Builds Stronger Relationships
Eating together as a family can create stronger bonds between parents and their children. When you sit down and eat with your toddler, you're creating a space for conversation, interaction, and quality time that shows your child that they are important to you and that you value spending time with them. Research shows that when families frequently and consistently share meals in a positive environment, such as not forcing children to clean their plate or punishing them at the table, everyone benefits with better social and emotional health and that the family functions better. Also, make a No Screens Allowed at the Table rule so you can focus only on each other.
Family Meals Promote Healthy Eating Habits
Toddlers are very observant and will often copy what their parents do… and eat! Lots of research indicates that children who eat regular family dinners consume more fruits and veggies as well as fewer sugary drinks and fried foods. By introducing your child to a variety of foods and showing your enjoyment in eating healthy, you can help them develop a positive relationship with food.
Good Table Manners Are Demonstrated During Family Meals
Eating with your toddler can also help teach them good table manners, which they may not fully understand until they are around five years old. When they hear you saying please and thank you, and see that you don’t talk with your mouth full, your child is more likely to pick up on these habits. Be patient and mindful with your instructions and corrections as you don’t want table manner lessons to overshadow all the other benefits.
Consistent Snack and Meal Time Creates a Sense of Routine
Toddlers thrive on routine and eating together as a family can help create a sense of structure in their day. Plus, toddlers love to feel as if they are needed and being helpful. This is a good age to begin adding chores to their daily routine and helping you set the table or wash vegetables is a good start. When your child knows that mealtime is a consistent part of their day, they are more likely to be prepared and engaged during mealtime.
MealTime Conversation Provides Opportunities for Learning
Sharing snack time and meals can also provide opportunities to enhance your child’s learning. During snack breaks and meal times, talk with your child about what you are eating: for veggies and fruit, did you grow it, buy it from a local farmstand or market, or purchase at the grocery store? What does it taste like? Explain how foods help our bodies grow and stay healthy. You can also practice counting, naming colors and shapes, and other basic concepts during mealtime.
Eating meals with your toddler is an important aspect of parenting. It provides a host of benefits, including opportunities for quality time, promotes healthy eating habits, encourages good table manners and so much more. You can learn a lot about your child during meal times and may be surprised by how much better you feel – mentally and physically -- after these short refueling breaks.
Check out these articles for more information and ideas on how to make the most of your family meals:
