Social science and common sense agree on one thing: A family that eats together stays together. But how? Here are some helpful tips I’ve picked up along the way.
A Family That Eats Together Stays Together: 6 Steps To Making It Happen:
1. Maximize the number.
Yes, we have conflicting schedules, shift work, overtime, etc. Yes, there are college assignments to be done, email to be answered, books to be read, chores to be completed. But just because you can’t get everybody together all of the time doesn’t mean we can’t get some together some of the time.
2. Maximize involvement.
Don’t let the loudest or oldest voice dominate. Work to ensure that everybody gets a shot at telling about their day, their joys and trials, successes, and failures.
3. Maximize listening.
Encourage careful, appreciative, and interactive listening. Ban cellphones and sarcasm. Put all phones in cell phone jail with this locked box. No rising from the table while someone is speaking.
4. Maximize positives.
It can be tempting for some people and for some families to just dwell on the negatives at work, at college, or even in the national situation. Sometimes it can be helpful to ask each person to list three positives from their day until that becomes more of a natural instinct. Humor and laughter are also tasty side-dishes.
5. Maximize food.
If teenagers know that they’re going to miss out on some really great food, and even better deserts, they’ll be much more likely to organize their schedule around your mealtimes. They can get microwave dinners anywhere. It’s worth putting extra money and effort into enticing them to the family table. Yes, godly herbs are better than ungodly steak. But godly steak is best of all.
6. Maximize worship.
Start the meal with prayer and turn the conversation toward God at opportune moments. This prayer cube makes learning prayers easy and fun for kids of all ages. Roll the cube to see which prayer will be prayed or recited during the meal.
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is,
than a fatted calf with hatred.”
(Proverbs 15:17)
“There is more happiness in the godly dinner of herbs than in the stalled ox of profane rioters.” Charles Spurgeon
