This year, 2020, has changed our lives in so many ways. I don’t think anyone has not been affected by COVID19 in some way or another. Families have been thrust together 24/7 with kids being home from school and many people working from home. It is our current normal with a lot of new challenges.
In an attempt to make lemonade out of lemons or to reference a recent post I wrote, pear sauce out of pears; I am encouraging you to take advantage of an opportunity to share meals together.
Shared meals do more than nourish us physically; they nourish and feed our emotions and draw us together.
Let’s look at the word companion: the Latin word is companionem which means bread fellow or messmate. It was originally used to describe someone with whom you shared a meal. Don’t you believe that everyone in your family should be a companionem? I do. It is something we have practiced for over 30 years in our marriage; it rarely happens that we don’t eat dinner as a family. Even the dog eats dinner at the same time! Yes, it was a challenge at times when the kids were younger, but our kids were only involved in one sport or activity at a time.
Importance of Shared Meals
Research has shown that the more often people eat with others, the more likely they will feel happy and satisfied with their lives. Here are more positive outcomes of a shared meal.
- Conversation takes place.
- Builds a routine.
- Tends to be healthier choices if homecooked.
- Increases social bonding and feelings of wellbeing.
- Provides a wider social network capable of providing social and emotional support.
- Sharing a meal touches all of our senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, and listening.
- Sharing meals is a fundamental component to our physical and emotional wellbeing. Children can benefit tremendously from sharing regular meals with family. Unfortunately, the average parent spends 38-1/2 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children. Adding a shared meal even a couple of times a week could significantly increase the conversation time.
Benefits for sharing a meal with your kids
- Children who do not eat dinner with at least one parent, two times a week, are 40% more likely to be overweight.
- Children who eat dinner with their parents five or more days a week have less trouble with drugs and alcohol, eat healthier, show better academic performance, and share that they are closer with their parents.
- Family dinners have been shown to be more important than play, story time, and other family events in the development of vocabulary in younger children.
- Shared meals offer a chance for the family to come together, strengthen ties, and build better relationships; a sense of belonging is formed which leads to better self-esteem.
- Pediatric reports that girls who are between the ages of 12 to 21 who eat alone were at a greater risk of developing eating disorders (I agree on this one, having suffered from anorexia in college).
The social distancing we have been encouraged to do because of COVID19 is the perfect opportunity to develop a routine of sharing meals with your family. Here are some tips to start a new quarantine routine of breaking bread.
- Make it a priority to share two more meals together a week. Each family will be different, but I encourage you to set a goal that is obtainable but also stretches your family. It doesn’t have to be dinner either, any meal will work. Consistency and routine are important.
- Get all family members involved if possible. Little ones can set the table, wash and prep some of the vegetables, and everyone can help with clean up. Often some of the best communication can happen during prep and clean up time. Stress that cleanup is a group effort not a chore.
- Lessons on manners, how to pass food, taking turns, and other customs can be learned during mealtime.
- Keep it fun, mealtime is not the time to bring up conflicts or complaints; it is very hard to properly digest your food if you are stressed.
- Be patient with younger children as they do have a greater challenge sitting still. The more enjoyable dinner time is, the more likely they will sit still.
- Remove mobile devices and turn off the television, turn on some music instead. Eating in front of the television can encourage eating up to 25% more food.
This is a great kit for introducing kids to food preparation.
I would like to encourage you to take advantage of this time to build a routine of sharing meals. Humans are the only creatures that come together for meals at a table. This shared meal at the table can act as a unifier, a place of community; and in many cultures, mealtime is treated as a sacred time.
Building this tradition keeps us grounded and connected in life; it reminds us that our relationships are where richness comes from, which is especially important in this pandemic time.
A final thought about being thankful; whether it is an actual prayer or sharing what you are thankful for, a thanks-giving ritual is often one of the most important parts of the meal in many cultures. Be thankful for your family and your many blessings.
What are some of your favorite meal-time memories? Do you struggle to break bread with family? What tips would you offer for families with young children to make mealtime fun?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
Sources:
- https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/family-building/why-sharing-family-meals-is-so-important-2/
- https://www.thescramble.com/culture-of-food/the-power-of-sharing-a-meal/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-importance-of-eating-together/374256/
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/joy-of-food/http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-03-16-social-eating-connects-communitieshttp://jesushacks.com/the-spiritual-benefits-of-sharing-a-meal-together/
- https://www.npr.org/2017/02/02/512998465/why-eating-the-same-food-increases-peoples-trust-and-cooperationhttps://companionsforseniors.com/2019/03/sharing-meal-benefit-seniors/
- https://folklife.si.edu/talkstory/table-talk-how-sharing-a-meal-can-make-a-difference
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