If you are not in the habit of eating as a family, this is a wonderful time of the year to enjoy the family, complete with children, they have holidays and maybe you also, so the time is perfect………..when you share this moment at least once a day, you are giving great benefits of education to our children and above all it helps to keep the family unit together and close. 

One of the biggest problems that face families today, is communication, this is why it is so important to find time and activities that can be shared with the family, the lunch or evening meal time is a wonderful opportunity for the family to sit together and enjoy the meal and company, it opens avenues to conversation and confidence for the children, they learn to express themselves and to feel comfortable within the group, the family group in which they belong. Sadly in recent years, as families get smaller and also grow apart this concept is lost to the TV and mobile phones etc., 

When  there is communication and good habits a family will flow together much better, in the society that we live in today, which is usually going a thousand revs a min, and we forget how important it is to dedicate time to the family. We are always wrapped up in something else, however if we take time out to read this, why don’t we think and reflect on exactly this, the importance of time and family ! We may have a very busy schedule, but with a little organisation we can find little spaces to fit in big things…. if you can manage just one meal a day together you have managed one objective. it is so important to eat together and to build up the family bond and strength between each member, and they even have the possibility to discover new things about their family members that they did not know. It is also an excellent moment to form good habits, good healthy habits regarding table manners and what is good to eat, it is a good time for them to see what healthy eating can do for your body , that eating a healthy diet will give you a healthy life, eating vegetables, salads fruit etc., Don’t forget that children at times can learn more by imitating others than by what they are told. 

Many studies have found that children who eat in a family group, tend to have less problems as adults with depression and eating disorders etc., It is also a good time to teach table manners and learn how to hold an acceptable table conversation with education. They can also learn how to place the table before a meal and how to clear the table correctly, it can show responsibility and how to place items into a dishwasher etc., it can in many ways help them with there independence and self-confidence. 

It is also important to make a meal time an enjoyable time, nice and happy, and you should give thought to suitable topics of conversation for everyone to participate. It is advisable not to always talk about the same topics, friends, school etc., and it should never be used as a time to discuss school performance or behaviour, if there are problems take another moment to talk about it. To keep a good conversation going around the family table, it is helpful if everyone present arrives with a good attitude and positivity.

Enjoy your family, try to eat as a family at least once a day, this will always help with the relation with your children. Try to avoid distractions such as telephones and TV, it is important for everyone to enjoy the moment of all eating together and enjoying each others company. Try to allow each family member to have their time to express themselves, always leave the table together as a family, no one should be rushed to finish, this is a relaxing time and food should not be rushed , and remember that not everyone eats the same amount, whether it is a child or an adult.

Brooke Universal Life Coach

theutopiauniverse@gmail.com