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Research shows that small children who eat family dinners
more frequently have healthier eating habits. Columbia
University research also shows teens who have fewer than
three family dinners in a typical week are more than twice
as likely to do poorly in school and 20 percent of teens who
have infrequent family dinners report receiving mostly C's
or below in school. However, 64 percent of teens eating with
their family five more times per week receive mostly A's and
B's.
Beyond
boosting brain power and nutrition awareness, dinnertime is
an easy way for families to catch up on the day's activities
and actually talk to each other. Here are a few good ways to
kick the excuse habit and get your tribe around the same
table at the same
time at least a few times a week:
 Excuse 1: "There's too much going on to get
together." There's
so much to do because all those outside activities were
prioritized on the calendar. Plan early, make some dinner
dates and add them to your priority list before something
else gets scheduled.
It doesn't matter if you use up restaurant gift cards or
stay in and empty out the cupboards. Just pick some days,
write them on the calendar and do it.
Excuse 2: "I'm a horrible cook." So you've found a
way to burn water. It happens. Rome wasn't built in
a day, so keep trying, and don't be afraid to call in some
reinforcements -- like your family.
Try cooking together or perhaps divvying a few of the
week's meals. It doesn't just have to be mom or
dad's job. Remember, the idea is to spend some time
together, whether that's making, burning or eating dinner.
Excuse 3: "Nobody eats the same thing." Men are from
the butcher's counter, women are from the produce aisle.
Kids, well, no one has really figured that out. In the
meantime, don't be afraid to eat out now and again. It
doesn't have to break the bank and there are solid options.
Take, for instance, Noodles & Company. Everything on the
menu is customizable to please even the pickiest eaters. So
you can add or drop vegetables, proteins or
change the type of noodles. And with standards like
spaghetti and meatballs to Pad Thai, plus soups and salads,
nobody will leave hungry.
 Excuse 4: "I have no idea what my kids are talking
about."Remember, your parents didn't understand
the Beatles or MTV. Getting old immediately prevents you
from being cool; it's just part of the job. What's also part
of that job is talking with your kids. If that
means figuring out what Facebook and Twitter are all about,
there are online groups to help. (Better yet, discuss it at
dinner and ask your kids to teach you).
Days are busy and nights are crunched, but everyone has to
eat. So carve out some time in the house or at a restaurant
and spend it together. Don't let the school year go by
without giving family dinners a try.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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