The typical family today is so busy and overly scheduled
with activities that it has created a whole new set of
challenges for mealtime. Often the traditional sit down
dinner and socializing as a family at a scheduled mealtime
seems like a quaint tradition of our grandparent's day.

We all feel the pressure to find easier; faster ways to
provide a nutritious meal and eating individually as the
family runs in different directions can easily become a habit.
Is it worth it to keep striving for that pleasant memory of
making meals together and eating as a family in a relaxed
setting around the table? Yes!

GOOD EATING HABITS FOR LIFE
"Meal time provides the perfect opportunity to teach positive
attitudes about food." Say's Fran Dunford, a Nutrition
Coordinator for the SUU Head Start program. Fran suggests
that food tastes better and meals are more balanced and fun
when shared with family and friends. Helping your child to
have good eating habits will affect your child throughout their
life. Part of learning good eating habits is helping our children
to learn to recognize when their body is full or hungry, an
important step in avoiding eating disorders. Early childhood
development specialists encourage parents to let children make
choices. "Kids should decide "If They Want to Eat" as well as
"How Much". We can't force our children to eat but we can
decide the What,When & Where in regards to food." Fran says.

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE FOOD
It helps me to remember that the importance of a meal together
as a family is not all about the food! Family mealtime teaches
kids how to express displeasure about a meal they do not like and
provides opportunities to teach good social graces and table manners.
But it also is a great setting for helping your children feel like
their
feelings and opinions matter as they take turns sharing their
important news and happenings of the day. John Doran adds,
"A good dinner sharpens wit, while it softens the heart".

FOOD AND FUN
Kids will look at meals as a family activity instead of merely
another dinner when some fun is added once a month. Here are
10 creative mealtime activities you can try. If you run out of
idea's there is a book by Randall Wright, "Building Better Homes
and Families" that lists at least 30 more!

1) Let the kids be the waiters and waitress seating
each family member, reading them the menu,
serving and clearing the table.

2) Pre-school age children enjoy having dinner
focus on the color they are learning. Choose
the same colored food from all the food-groups.
Don't forget the matching drink!

3) Eat by candlelight or let each child put a
flashlight above their plate and eat with the lights out.

4) Hide a note to each child in their portion of food for
them to find.

5) Let everyone choose their eating utensil from a sack,
no forks to choose from only spatulas, ice cream
scoop, turkey baster or other unusual kitchen items.

6) Older kids enjoy the challenge of eating with the
wrong hand. Use a dish-rag to tie their wrist to the
wrist of the person sitting next to them!

7) Grab a big vinyl wipe-and-wash tablecloth, your
plates and eat in a different room of the house or
even outside in the neighborhood for variety!

8) My father once surprised my grandmother at
a birthday dinner by having her place setting
different from the rest of the table. Her cup and
plate was bright red! If my 92-year-old grandma
is thrilled by the gesture, your kids will be too!

9) Turn dinner into breakfast! One of our favorite
family meals is to eat breakfast food for dinner.
I like to make extra so that we can eat the leftovers
the next morning.

10) Make the meal a cultural activity with clothing,
food, music and decorations that depict that country.

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