Strollerderby : family dinner

October: It's not Just for Halloween Anymore--Eat Together Month

Shannon LC Cate — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:44:00 GMT

Before I had kids, I didn't eat very well. I still don't eat as well as I could (who does?) but I eat miles better now than I did as a kid myself. As skeptical as I usually am of sociological studies that draw connections between somewhat unrelated things, I do find myself rather charmed by the idea that simply be eating a family meal together most evenings, I can prevent my kids from doing drugs, getting into fights, committing suicide or having sex too early. Though I'm inclined to think that eating together is just another good habit that stronger healthier families practice, studies have shown that there is something more powerful about eating together than doing other types of things as a family.

Whatever the links to better outcomes for kids, I just like the idea of developing an old-fashioned family bond by eating together, Waltons-style. So we'll be celebrating National Eat Together-Eat Better Month throughout October. How does one celebrate this holiday? One thing I'm going to do is include my three-year old in the preparation of at least one meal per week this month. I've been slacking in that area since moving to a new place with a less kid-friendly kitchen than our old place. It's so much easier to do it myself, but she gets a genuine thrill from "helping" in the kitchen and it's good for her on a number of levels. I think I can commit to one meal a week without too much difficulty.

What will you do to celebrate?

Family Dinners Good For Parents, Too

Adrienne Martini — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Research has shown that family dinners do wonderful things for kids. No one is 100 percent certain why gathering at a table with regularity is beneficial but it is still good to know. Now there is evidence that encouraging parents to have family meals for the sake of their offspring is also good for the parents, too.

Which is good to know, since my Hub and I spend most of our family dinners hectoring the kids to sit and eat. The phrase, "just one bite" also gets tossed out. But, mostly, sitting down together is a routine we enjoy, even if the meal isn't always expert approved.

Slate's Emily Bazelon pokes at the idea of the family meal and tries to figure out why it works, even if it isn't the Rockwellian ideal at her family's table, either.

Illo credit: Rob Donnelly

Family Meals Define What Family Is

Adrienne Martini — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:00:00 GMT

You. You right there letting your kid watch Boobah while you catch up online. You. You're doing it wrong.

So are you. Yes, you.

And you, too.

Every parent is doing it wrong. It just depends on who you ask. To some, single-parent households will warp the kids. Same-sex parent households are a one-way ticket to delinquent town. To the extra hyper, parents who don't do the whole attachment thing are raising brats and bullies. And to the extra mellow parent, those AP people are asking for trouble.

So it's startling to wander across an essay that suggests that no matter how you do it, as long as you provide stability and certain touchstones like family meals, it'll all turn out OK. Unless, like the picture above, you feed the horse from the table. That's just plain wrong.