Studies have shown that eating meals together as a family are tied to the overall wellbeing of your child. For young children, conversation at the table is a huge language booster than reading to them. Ultimately, regular family mealtimes encourage them to eat healthy!
Whether you’re a working parent or a busy mom with many chores to juggle, it’s good to cultivate this habit!
It doesn’t have to be done daily
Working parents, hear this! It doesn’t have to be done daily to reap its benefits. It can be breakfast, on weekends or during snack time. Pick a meal that is convenient for all of you. The point is to make a commitment to a family meal where everyone is together to share food, talk and just bond!
Turn mealtimes into a game
Skip the toys and puzzles. Cooking and meal prep is an activity that can still involve hands-on sensory fun. Get everyone involved in fixing the meal – get them to plate their food in a creative way, choose the vegetables they want to eat, name the ingredients that goes into the dish. Yes, it might add on an extra 30mins to the whole prep time, but it’ll be worth it!
It’s actually doable, even for busy parents
Despite everyone’s hectic work schedules and classes, it’s very doable to find a meal time to spend together. Everyone needs to eat, it’s just a matter of putting in the effort! It’s the most reliable time of the day that you can connect with one day. Making this a habit allows our children to feel connected to us and stay grounded as a family.
Bond at the table
Table conversations are one of the richest language booster you can provide for our kids. It’s probably one of the only time everyone sits and talk about each other’s lives and giving comments and explanations on topics. Try asking questions that go beyond ‘how was your day?’.
It’s good for you too!
It’s comforting even for us adults to know that at least one part of your day is going to unfold the same way. In just an hour, you’re able to create comfort, fun, play and meaningful conversations. So keep the phone and worldly troubles aside and just enjoy our children’s growing moments!
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