Put Time Back in Dinner Time

Eliminating distractions while eating means good times

Nov 23, 2009 | WRITTEN BY Chris Russell

Eating dinner with your family is good. Eating dinner while your son texts his friends, your daughter is on her cell phone, and you and your spouse are catching up on TV show reruns ... not so good.
A recent poll by the Associated Press and iVillage found that more than 60% of people with families said they have eaten dinner together at least five nights in the past week. But that doesn't tell the whole story.
Eating together isn't as meaningful when a quarter of the families polled say they are watching television during the meal. Nearly 40% of families have the stereo or radio on, and texting or emailing on a cell phone is "more than a rare intrusion" for 15% of them.
Think about this for a second. How fun is dinner with your family when no one is paying attention to anyone else? If anything, your family members can feel insulted. They might feel like you'd rather find out who got thrown off the island than what they did at school or work that day.
Your kids have many other hours in the day to talk to their friends. If you want to watch old shows, tape them and watch when your time permits. But don't let trivial things get in the way of talking with your spouse or children about how things are going in their lives. Talking about minor stuff like how someone's day went usually leads to conversations that are deeper, more meaningful and more fun. You'll talk about what you want out of life, how to avoid negative situations and lots more.
Getting a conversation going is the toughest part. But once the talk is underway, the real fun begins. Everyone can learn so much from just sitting down and eating together. You learn what the kids are doing in school, and it reminds you of stories you can tell them from your schooling days. Those are the things your kids will remember when they are older—the time you spent together, not the plot of some sitcom.
Research has also shown that children who have involved parents are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. A big part of that involvement happens at the dinner table. Don’t miss that time with your family; there will come a day when you'll want it back. Take advantage of it now.
Source: Yahoo.com