I know that everyone says that it is really important for a family to eat together but in reality that is sometimes easier said than done isn’t it?
I have just been having a look around the internet for some more packed lunch box ideas and I came across a site called http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/. I haven’t looked around this site as yet but am intrigued by a couple of the facts that are quoted on the site’s home page.
– The average parent spends 38.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children. (A.C. Nielsen Co.)
– Family dinners are more important than play, story time and other family events in the development of vocabulary of younger children. (Harvard Research, 1996)
– Frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs; with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts; and with better grades in 11 to 18 year olds. (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2004.)
– Adolescent girls who have frequent family meals, and a positive atmosphere during those meals, are less likely to have eating disorders. (University of Minnesota, 2004)
I am very surprised by these facts and I know that I will make a concious effort in future to make sure that we all eat together more often.
