Four perks of dining with family

Four reasons why you should make time for family and eat together

As the world takes a more individualistic approach to life, the concept of wide kinship is gradually disintegrating in Pakistan. Amid the fast-paced life of today, many find it hard to spend quality time with family. One of the most viable ways of familial interaction is eating at least one meal of the day together, be it nashta or a desi meal your ammi prepared for dinner.

According to a 2010 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, dining with family at least three to four times a week leads to fewer emotional and behavioural problems, more helpful behaviour towards others and greater life satisfaction. As compiled from cnn.com, here are four reasons why you should make time for family gupshup at the dining table.



Leads to emotional well-being: The sense of security and togetherness felt while having a family meal helps nurture children into healthy, well-rounded adults. Daily family dinners have a positive impact on children’s values, motivation, personal identity, and self-esteem. Children who eat dinner with their family are more likely to comprehend and follow the boundaries and expectations set by their parents.



Offers nutritional benefits: People who have frequent family meals consume more calcium, fibre, iron, and vitamins. It could be because home-cooked meals are cleaner and more nutritious than fast foods. This way, family members also tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer fat-laden snacks, keeping their weight under check.



Enhances language skills: Eating meals together as a family provides the opportunity for conversation. Children in families that eat together develop better language skills compared to those who don’t have regular family meals. By engaging your children in conversation, you teach them how to listen and provide them with a chance to express their own opinions. This allows your children to have an active voice within the family; thus, building their confidence.



Polishes table manners: Learning how to eat slowly and tidily and how to use a knife and fork are important skills and a family meal can be a great classroom. Children can sometimes take a long time to eat, so parents may decide to leave the table to tidy up, but to instill tolerance in your children, don’t get up till they have finished eating.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2014.

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