The Greenroom

Dinner
is generally the only meal a family can spend together as school and
work often mean everyone leaves the house at different times in the
morning and lunch obviously isn't an option. But dinner, ah yes,
dinner... everyone is home and has an opportunity to spend some time
together before departing separate ways for soccer practices,
rehearsals, honey-do's and other evening activities.

I imagine
most people wish they could spend more time with their families and
having dinner together each night is an ideal way to do that - to block
out the rest of the world and interact with each other. Here are eight
ways to make eating dinner together as a family more meaningful.

1. Turn off the TV.
Focus on your family, not the TV. Watching TV during dinner 1. is a
crutch because you don't know what to talk about or 2. tells your kids
what's on TV is more important than them. Harsh, perhaps, but it can be
perceived that way. It's family dinner, not TV dinner. If you're that
worried about missing something, TiVo it.

2. No cell phones/texting.
Sorry kids. The next hour is dedicated to family. Everyone (including
parents) turn off your cell phones. And, no, putting them on vibrate
isn't an option.

3. Sit at the table. As opposed to the
couch, when at the table everyone is facing each other instead of
(let's be honest here) the TV. It makes the gathering about each other
instead of outside distractions.

4. Prepare healthy meals.
It's important that meals not just fill, but nourish your family. It's
not to say that having pizza for dinner is never a good thing, but it
should be the exception more than the rule. By providing healthy,
nutritious food you're showing your family you care about them enough
to put the effort into feeding them quality food. We grab enough junk
during the day in snacking and eating out that dinner can be, and in my
opinion, should be, healthy.

5. Work through the awkwardness.
I know this sounds a bit odd, but you might not be used to sitting
around as a family for extended periods of time without the TV on. At
first, that could mean conversations might seem forced and a little
awkward, especially if you have teenagers. Just be genuine and
persistent. As it becomes routine people will open up more. Keep at it
- it will get better.

6. Don't rush. Enjoy the meal. We
tend to get in the habit of scarfing down our food and moving on to the
next thing on our agenda. While that may be necessary if you're
squeezing in lunch at work, it shouldn't happen at home. Eating slower
has a number of benefits: you'll enjoy the food more, you'll generally
eat less and eating will change from a stressful event to a relaxing,
happy thing you can look forward to each day.

7. Stay put.
Just because you're plate's empty doesn't mean you're done with the
meal. My in-laws are particularly good at sitting at the table for a
while after everyone's done and just...hanging out. My father in-law
will ask someone to bring him some cookies and we'll sit around, pick
at the food that's left on the table and continue our conversation.
It's a wonderful, often hilarious experience.

8. Everyone help clean up.
Make sure everybody helps with dishes/cleanup. Not only does this
extend the time you're spending together as a family, but everyone
understands they have a responsibility to help with the meal, not just
the preparer of the food. Even little kids can wipe down the table
afterward with a wet cloth so they have a sense of ownership. Of
course, saying, "I've got it, you go sit down and relax" and giving
everyone else a night off is a welcome gesture too. Just make sure it's
not the same person always saying it. :)

Dinner has a lot of
potential as far as quality family time goes. These things have been
beneficial to me and my family in making the most of it.

Do you
have any other suggestions? What do you do to make dinner a special
time for your family? Please leave some ideas in the comments.