The Importance of Eating Together as a Family
It’s tempting – and let’s admit it – too often, it’s necessary – to eat meals on the run. One woman said she only saw her husband when they passed each other in cars as they chauffeured their children to and from practices and lessons. “He would wave his taco, and I would wave my burger, and that was supper!” she recalled.
When you’re finally all together at home, the kids want to play video games, talk to their friends on cellphones, and you’re so tired you just want to zone out in front of the television.
The “family dinner” is an infrequent, special event to most of us. But there are two important reasons you can and should strive to have family dinners every week.
- Nutrition: Fast food = fried food. Obesity experts cite fast food as the leading cause of obesity in children.
- Healthy Choices: Family dinners offer more variety, so kids are exposed to different types of food. The more often they are exposed to new foods – without the “Eat this or else,” warning – the more often they will try them. Plus, you control the portions. Americans have super-sized themselves into international obesity leadership roles.
When you are an active, dynamic household, family dinners are just one of the ways you can stay connected with each other. Volunteering together, as a family, gives your children lifelong skills and humanitarian values that will serve them and their children for eons. Volunteering helps your family unit learn about their individual personalities, too!
Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago is an organization that has served family dinners and kosher meals to needy people in the Chicagoland area for over 100 years. We understand that “time is money,” and appreciate the fact that it’s often easier to donate financially. But the lesson still applies when you include your family in a donation: Our legacy is one of charity; it is your mitzvah (commandment) to help others with a willing heart.
Call 847-674-3224 or contact us to learn more about ways your family can help our family!
