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As the Atlanta home inspectors wife, I do the marketing for our Atlanta home inspection company. One of the things that I noticed is that I tend to get crazy busy and not have time to plan that family meal like I want to. I was surfing the internet and found the below post and it reminded me of why I want to try to get that family meal on the table. So often we think that the family meal is just about sitting down and eating, but it is really so much more. If you turn off the distractions and focus on one another, then it is a great time to reconnect. Being connected is one of the things that helps you and your children have that lasting relationship. Who would have thought that a family meal could do so much? Below is the article, I hope you enjoy it…
Family meals are making a comeback. Shared family meals are more likely to be nutritious, and kids who eat regularly with their families are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods and more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Teens who take part in regular family meals are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol, or use marijuana and other drugs, and are more likely to have healthier diets as adults, studies have shown.
Beyond health and nutrition, family meals provide a valuable opportunity to reconnect. This becomes even more important as kids get older.
Making Family Meals Happen
It can be a big challenge to find the time to plan, prepare, and share family meals, then be relaxed enough to enjoy them.
Try these three steps to schedule family meals and make them enjoyable for everyone who pulls up a chair.
1. Plan
To plan more family meals, look over the calendar to choose a time when everyone can be there.
Figure out which obstacles are getting in the way of more family meals — busy schedules, no supplies in the house, no time to cook. Ask for the family’s help and ideas on how these roadblocks can be removed. For instance, figure out a way to get groceries purchased for a family meal. Or if time to cook is the problem, try doing some prep work on weekends or even completely preparing a dish ahead of time and putting it in the freezer.
2. Prepare
Once you have all your supplies on hand, involve the kids in preparations. Recruiting younger kids can mean a little extra work, but it’s often worth it. Simple tasks such as putting plates on the table, tossing the salad, pouring a beverage, folding the napkins, or being a “taster” are appropriate jobs for preschoolers and school-age kids. Older kids may be able to pitch in even more, such as getting ingredients, washing produce, mixing and stirring, and serving. If you have teens around, consider assigning them a night to cook, with you as the helper.
If kids help out, set a good example by saying please and thanks for their help. Being upbeat and pleasant as you prepare the meal can rub off on your kids. If you’re grumbling about the task at hand, chances are they will too. But if the atmosphere is light, you’re showing them how the family can work together and enjoy the fruits of its labor. Tell them, “Mmm, something smells delicious!”
3. Enjoy
Even if you’re thinking of all you must accomplish after dinner’s done (doing dishes, making lunches, etc.), try not to focus on that during dinner. Make your time at the table pleasant and a chance for everyone to decompress from the day and enjoy being together as a family.
They may be starving, but have your kids wait until everyone is seated before digging in. Create a moment of calm before the meal begins, so the cook can shift gears. It also presents a chance to say grace, thank the cook, wish everyone a good meal, or to raise a glass of milk and toast each other. You’re setting the mood and modeling good manners and patience.
Family meals are a good time to teach civilized behavior that kids also can use at restaurants and others’ houses, so establish rules about staying seated, passing items instead of grabbing them, putting napkins on laps, and not talking with your mouth full. You can gently remind when they break the rules, but try to keep tension and discipline at a minimum during mealtime. The focus should remain on making your kids feel nurtured, connected, and part of the family.
Keep the interactions positive and let the conversation flow. Ask your kids about their days and tell them about yours. Give everyone a chance to talk.
Need some conversation starters? Here are a few:
- If you could have any food for dinner tomorrow night, what would it be?
- Who can guess how many potatoes I used to make that bowl of mashed potatoes?
- What’s the most delicious food on the table?
- If you opened a restaurant, what kind would it be?
- Who’s the best cook you know? (We hope they say it’s you!)
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: March 2008
found at http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/family_meals.html#a_1__Plan
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit. Your comments are welcomed below!
During these times, I have looked for ways to save money? Did you know that if you live anywhere near Cumming, Georgia that on certain days you can go to Tyson’s Chicken plant right there off the square in Cumming and purchase chicken for about half the cost that it is at the local grocery store, that is the last time I bought some. I haven’t bought any in a while because when we go I usually pick up three or four boxes to put in the freezer. Below is a map to their location and I believe their phone number is 770-888-4611. They’re only open odd hours Mon.-Thur. so I would try calling before heading that way.
This is a great idea from a friend of ours who just happens to be a home inspector also. I personally never heard of this and I am very excited about checking it out. Sometimes the old thing of “What are we going to have for Dinner” gets so old. So below is what our friend wrote:
When things are slow, money wise, you’ve got to find ways to save in every area of your budget. We had a habit of eating out too much. We always had good intentions when it came to eating at home, but the day gets busy, schedules change and so on until it’s dinner time and we are caught unprepared. I found a great site that has helped us tremendously with getting our grocery shopping organized and has saved us money as well. I heard about E-mealz on the radio and gave it a try. http://www.e-mealz.com/amember/go.php?r=28614&i=l0(justcopy and paste link into your browser) . It cost $5.00 per month to use the service. Here’s how it works. You sign up for the plan you want, which is one of various menu plans that are made each week around the sales at the store that you shop at. We use Publix http://www.publix.com? . Each week on the day that your favorite stores ads are released you can go and print your dinner menu. It also includes a shopping list with the individual and total prices. It’s a great program that has helped us eat at home and save money. Our favorite store is Kroger and from what I understand it is available for most stores.
Brodie Brown
Browntree Home Inspections
http://www.browntree.net
Thanks for the great tip.
If you or anyone needs an Atlanta home inspection be sure and give me a call at 404-788-2581 or visit our Atlanta home inspections website.
Also how much do you know about Radon gases? If the answer is not much then check out our Radon Inspection page. You might be glad you did as we have had several homes in the Cherokee County test high.
I like to shop in bulk and when I can I buy the larger packs of ground chuck on sale. I use to bring it home and break it up into 1 pound packages and then freeze. I have learned that when I purchase it in the 5pound plus package not only do I save money but I can also save time. When I get it home I go ahead and brown it all then put it in 1 pound packages. This makes it easy to pull out for tacos, hamburger helper, vegatable soup, or to add to spagetti. Not having to stand over the stove and thaw it makes it so easy to use right out of the freezer.
Hope this helps some other busy wives out there. I know with trying to do the marketing, teaching and learning about social marketing, blogging and everything else, I don’t want to worry about dinner time.
More about me 
I am the wife of a busy Atlanta home inspector and I do most of the marketing for our home inspection business. I am constantly online learning about SEO, social network marketing, blogging, Google adwords and anything relating to the internet. I teach classes and tele-seminars about blogging and social media. I am part of a Internet Success Marketing Mastermind group and love helping people in general. You can follow me on Twitter and on Face book.
I have once again started listening to the science of getting rich cds that I purchased and was reminded of the grateful attitude. See right now, especially around Christmas, it is so easy to maybe focus on what one doesn’t have or what one can’t do or can’t get for their kids that we forget all that we have to be grateful for. I have so many things to be grateful for…..I have a loving family, both my family and my husbands family live close by and we can visit them anytime we choose. My whole family is very healty and doing well. My kids are great kids, even tho one is 16 and one is 11, I have yet to see those “bad teenage years” that so many talk about. Now I think this is a KEY – I have always said “I have great kids and I try to never speak in a negative manner about them.” I believe that you attract what you say! Back to the book, it also taught me that focusing on what I didn’t want to happen in my life actually brought it into my life. Now before anyone gets to wondering, I am a born again spirit filled believer, in love with Jesus, and I believe that God, the Father, is the giver of all good things. So I know who to be grateful to…. I also think that with my actions and attitudes I open the door for the things that I want to happen and the things that I don’t. With everything going on in the real estate market, it would be very easy for me to get into the same attitude of gloom and doom as others, but I chose not to and even tho we have had less home inspections this past month, our average for the year is up, we did really well in the home inspection profession this year, and for that we are exceedingly grateful. And we could not have done it without you, our customers, so to each and everyone of you a great big “THANK YOU!”
Please feel free to check out David’s webiste Atlantas Home Inspector for some great tips and to ask questions you may have.
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