Having a family means you have to work hard to provide. Therefore, you can end up having busy days that you spend little time with your loved ones. However, it would help if you created memorable moments to enjoy time together and have a family conversation to get your family in order. This should include both the parents and children and even guests when possible.
Family mealtimes are one of the best ways to catch up, connect, and communicate with your loved ones. Also, it helps you teach your children more about food, healthy foods, and eating habits. When you eat as a family, they learn the table manners you expect of them. Besides, this helps them develop as they tend to be more successful both socially and academically when brought up in such an environment.
Making your family mealtime enjoyable and unrushed can help you improve family relations. Below are the best ways to make your mealtimes more enjoyable.
Create Regular Mealtime
Having a consistent mealtime ensures that everyone turns up for the occasion. It should be a time that is convenient for everyone in the family. The parents must leave work alone. Also, the children must be done with their studies. However, don’t make it so late that it finds the children already asleep. It would be best if you created mealtimes at a convenient time. It doesn’t have to be every day. It can be twice a week and make it mandatory that everyone is available.
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Some can’t attend family mealtime because there are depressed and anxious. They would prefer to eat by themselves or stay under closed doors, especially those undergoing PTSD and teenage children are likely to show this kind of behavior. When you realize that one of the family members is in such a condition, you can seek medical assistance. Therefore, if you ask yourself, “does CBD oil help PTSD,” this should be your option.
Get Everyone Involved
Before you create a family mealtime schedule, ensure that you consult with every family member. You have to ensure that everyone is free on that particular day or hour. Don’t assume the children can always be there since they can be having something to do at that specific time. Consulting with everyone helps you find an appropriate time that everyone will enjoy. It needs to be a fun moment, and, therefore, no one should feel like they are forced to be there.
Create Enough Time
Since family mealtime is for catching up with your loved ones, you need to create enough time for it. Besides, you can use the time to teach your children some of the behavior expected of them. Don’t limit the family mealtime. Ensure that there is enough time to do all the things you plan. You can top it up with a family game or any other fun activity.
Children find it hard to sit for long. You can allow them to move around the table. However, ensure that they are seated when eating. No one should be eating while on the move. Also, don’t make the mealtime so long that it starts to get boring.
Reward Good Behavior
One of the things you want to enact during a family mealtime is good behavior. It can be eating habits, holding the fork and knife while eating, or healthy eating. To motivate the children to adapt to these behaviors, you need to reward them. However, it shouldn’t be a bribe or punishment to do what they don’t like. Encourage them to like healthy foods and not the snack you promise them when they eat the healthy food. Otherwise, they would be more interested in the snack rather than the healthy food.
Make Mealtime a Talk Time
Family mealtime is an ideal way to talk with your loved ones. It should be more than a yes or no answer, especially for the children. You want to know more about the experiences they have had during the day or week. Therefore, ask them things like the good or bad things that happened during the day. Ensure that it is a space to have a free conversation, and no one should feel like they are being pressed to talk. Also, avoid sensitive topics that will make one feel singled out.
