Family Meals Help Children Grow Up Healthier
Eating together with your children is a magnificent thing, because such moments are remembered for the rest of your life. Yet it appears that family meals are not just pleasant: researchers report that those children who enjoy eating with their families grow up healthier and happier.

Why is eating together important?
Family meals are a wonderful opportunity to share opinions, learn how to interact, behave and be polite, and build stronger relationships between family members. Also, children learn behavior patterns and the way men and women communicate. Such a healthy environment makes those involved in family meals happier and calmer, and helps discuss different issues and concerns with the people the child can confide in. Besides, the child has the opportunity to learn what a family should be like. For example, family traditions can also be part of family meals and vice versa (for instance, the pies your mother used to bake can affect your notion of coziness and perfect home, etc.). The researchers considered a lot of information about the social background of the children, what pre-existing conditions they had, etc. to make sure the results are not distorted by other factors.It appears that eating together is not just one of the indicators of a healthy family, but also a means of improving children’s well-being. Nowadays, few families prefer to eat together, and since introducing such a practice can benefit the young (and parents too!), this approach should be included in parent education programs.
References:
Associations Between Early Family Meal Environment Quality and Later Well-Being in School-Age Children – Journals.lww.com
8 Reasons to Make Time for Family Dinner – Health.com
The Importance of Eating Together – TheAtlantic.com