home for dinner :: book review + giveaway

Right now our children are young, we homeschool, and we don’t do a lot of extra activities. So, for us (for now), eating dinner together every night is very common. Sitting down to dinner with my family is one of my favorite times of day…it’s the leading up to sitting down that’s a struggle for me. Some days the kids like to help in the kitchen, and when we’re all in a lovely mood that works out well. But if one person is grumpy it tends to ruin the experience for us all. Then there are the other times when all I really want is a little help and everyone disappears. And I’ll admit that even though I love sitting and talking with my husband and kids during dinner, sometimes our conversations become rote and boring. If you’re stuck in a rut like we are or if you struggle with finding time to sit down with everyone for dinner, check out The Family Dinner Project. The monthly newsletter provides inspiration on how to shake things up at the dinner table. The website shares recipes, fun games, and ideas on how to get even the smallest children involved in family dinner prep.

Above and beyond what the website offers, one of The Family Dinner Project co-founders, Dr. Anne Fishel, has written a book with even more great ideas and recipes. She also shares personal anecdotes and takes a deeper look into the study of why family dinners are so important. For example, did you know that there has been shown a consistent association between family dinner frequency and teen academic performance, and that adolescents who ate family dinners 5-7 times per week were 2x as likely to get A’s in school than those who ate dinner with their families fewer than 3 times a week (pg 17). Family mealtime is also good for mental health, physical health, and better life-time nutrition.

In Dr. Fishel’s new book Home for Dinner, she goes into detail about how to incorporate and engage all types of children and family members. The ideas are broken down into age categories and list age-appropriate . It’s also important to note that it’s not where you have dinner together, but that you actually have dinner together. Sometimes your schedule may look like there’s not time to eat together. Dr. Fishel suggests packing a picnic dinner (and gives recipe suggestions!) and eating at the ball field or backstage at rehearsal. While that still may not always be feasible, it’s something I wouldn’t have ever considered. I probably would have just gone through the drive-thru…again. With a little planning, eating on the go can be fairly easy and very healthy.

Home for Dinner is a great resource for families and I’ve enjoyed incorporating some of the suggestions into our regular routine. Take a moment to look through the slideshow below and share in the comments which would be your favorite to try!

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