In a study conducted by a professor of education at Harvard's Graduate School, it was concluded, that family dinners offered opportunities for children to learn vocabulary building words that will help them read well by the third grade. There are so many benefits to the family dinner, not just eating together. Another benefit is the feeling of belonging to the family. When the family is scattered with after school activities and everyone eats "on the run" then the coming together gets put on the sidelines and the closeness of the family unit can suffer.
At least 4 nights a week, including the weekend, is a good start to try to get together for meals. This is a great time for children to talk about their day; their triumphs or their fears. Listening to each other is another skill that is learned. No interrupting or certainly teasing should not be tolerated during the family meal time.
If this time feels awkward in the beginning think of a few topics to bring up during dinner. This could be dreams during the night, plans for a family vacation or a movie that can be watched as a family. Children love to feel safe and feel a part of a family, no matter how young.
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