Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street, talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.

DEUTERONOMY 6: 6-8

by SodaHead Living Posted June 02, 2011

Eatdinner.org, a non-profit organization, is researching the obstacles families face when trying to eat dinner together. Is the image of a family eating dinner around the table together outdated? Or is it still important?
"Family dinner: the very words suggest the nostalgic image of happy families sitting around the table, sharing stories and building memories. In reality, family dinner is a lightening-rod issue and a source of guilt for many parents.

While some families experience those camera-ready, feel-good moments at family dinner, at least sometimes, other people feel like family dinner is one more thing for working parents to feel guilty about...Which image is right?

What do you think about the idea of family dinners?

Join the discussion at Sodahead.com/lifestyle

by CBS News / Copyright 2010 CBS All rights reserved.

(CBS) A survey from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) says that the more often children have dinners with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs, and that parental engagement fostered around the dinner table is one of the most potent tools to help parents raise healthy, drug-free children.

The CASA found kids that have dinner with their parents fewer than three times a week, are two times more likely to drink or smoke tobacco, and are one and a half times more likely to smoke marijuana.

But, as Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez stressed, parents can't just sit down with their kids -- they have to have talks with them about their lives.

Read more at CBS News.com

By Patty Morrison, WVU Extension Agent, Wirt County West Virginia University Extension Service Families and Health Programs

Why is the family mealtime important?

Family mealtimes are slowly becoming a thing of the past. With today's hectic schedules, more and more families are neglecting a very important component of family togetherness. This program topic will give pointers on ways to make mealtimes simple and fun for the entire family.

This is what the research says about why family mealtimes are important. When you eat with your children, it is more likely that they will eat healthier and more balanced meals. Compared with teens who have frequent family dinners, those who rarely have family dinners are three-and-a-half times more likely to have abused prescription drugs or an illegal drug other than marijuana. Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, which can range from skipping meals to full-fledged anorexia or abuse of diet pills. Parental influence and involvement are important tools in preventing substance abuse. Regularly sitting down for a meal with your children is one way to connect with them and be involved with what is happening in their lives.

It is 5 p.m. and soccer practice starts in an hour. Do you have time for a sit-down dinner with the family? If you opt for something simple such as soup, sandwich, and a piece of fruit, you do. A slow-cooker is a wonderful way to have soup ready for dinner. The ingredients can be put in the cooker in the morning and cook all day. All you need to do is whip up some peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches and you have a family meal. Use the slow-cooker for other meals also; find some recipes and put that slow-cooker to good use.

Maybe breakfast is a little more relaxed than dinnertime. You can sit down with the family at breakfast and talk about the plans for the day. Having a simple breakfast can reduce preparation time and give you more time to sit together.

Involving children in meal planning and preparation can get them interested in sharing the meal as a family. Even small children as young as 3 can help wash vegetables, set the table, or do other small chores for dinner. There are books available from the library on involving children in meal preparation. Parents may check the Food and Nutrition Information Center's (FNIC) Web site (www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/resource_lists.shtml) for resources, including lists of cookbooks suitable for children.

Read more at: fh.ext.wvu.edu

by Rebecca Sweat Copyright © 2006 Lady DaVinci's Salon. All rights reserved.

Waiting in line at the grocery store check-out, the woman behind me pointed to the bags of apples, flour and sugar in my shopping cart and remarked, "Looks like you're going home to do some baking."

"We're going to have apple pie for dessert after dinner tonight," I replied.

"Dinner?" she asked in a surprised tone. "Dinner with the whole family? About the only time my family eats dinner together anymore is at Thanksgiving and Christmas."

Unfortunately, this way of thinking is becoming the norm, at least for Americans. Today both parents often spend full days at the office, commute an hour or more each way in heavy traffic, take night classes to improve job skills, and work weekends to meet deadlines. Dinner may mean popping a frozen burrito in the microwave; or a hamburger and fries from the drive-through, eaten alone and "on the run."

According to the Food Marketing Institute, just 40 percent of American families eat meals together, and then, no more than two or three times a week. Is that bad? Is the family meal worth saving? Or is it destined to become a thing of the past, something left for reruns of Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best?

Nutritional reasons alone make the family meal worth saving. Kids left to themselves to find something to eat are likely to choose a diet of toaster pastries, potato chips and frozen pizza. When parents present children with a variety of foods at regular mealtimes, they better their chances of developing good eating habits in their children.

But perhaps most important, the family dinner gives family members a chance to reconnect with each other after a long day at school or work. "Eating together as a family can help give your children a feeling of security and a sense of knowing who they are and where they come from," says Margaret Mackenzie, a nutritional anthropologist and member of The American Institute of Wine & Food's "Resetting the American Table" project. "The family meal is much more than food on the table. You are creating warm, happy memories and meanings your children will carry with them the rest of their lives."

Clifton Saper Ph.D., a family psychologist in Evanston, Illinois, agrees, and adds that family dinners are very worthwhile, as long as the interaction is kept positive. "The family dinner is the place to report on what you're doing, what you've been up to, what you're thinking. But sometimes the whole focus is on manners and 'Eat your vegetables' and then the meal becomes a negative experience for both the parents and the kids," he says. "But if parents can get beyond that, if their focus instead is on open communication and creating an atmosphere that's relaxed and comfortable, then the meal is going to help strengthen family ties."

Read more at Lady DaVinci.com

By Jeanie Lerche Davis WebMD Feature/ © 2006 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.

After-school activities, late workdays, long commutes -- it's no wonder few families eat dinner together. Yet studies show that the family dinner hour is an important part of healthy living.

When families dine together, they tend to eat more vegetables and fruits -- and fewer fried foods, soda, and foods with trans fats, research shows. When younger kids frequently eat dinner with their families, they are less likely to be overweight than other children. That tends to change in the teenage years, when they're less likely to eat at home.

It's a serious concern, since statistics show that nearly one in five children aged 6-19 in the U.S. are overweight. That puts them at higher risk for many health problems later in life, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes -- as well as emotional problems.

"One of the simplest and most effective ways for parents to be engaged in their teens' lives is by having frequent family dinners," says Joseph Califano Jr., chairman and president of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). CASA recently reported on a national phone survey of 1,000 teens and 829 parents of teens. Eating dinner as a family helped kids in many ways. It helped them get better grades, and kept them away from cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana, and more.

10 Benefits of Family Dinners

Toting up all the benefits of frequent family dinners:
- Everyone eats healthier meals.
- Kids are less likely to become overweight or obese.
- Kids more likely to stay away from cigarettes.
- They're less likely to drink alcohol.
- They won't likely try marijuana.
- They're less likely to use illicit drugs.
- Friends won't likely abuse prescription drugs.
- School grades will be better.
- You and your kids will talk more.
- You'll be more likely to hear about a serious problem.
- Kids will feel like you're proud of them.
- There will be less stress and tension at home.

Read more at: children.webmd.com

Children's books are primarily for entertainment and enjoyment. They can also be an important teaching tool for a parent and can lend themselves to good family discussions and the support of critical thinking. Occasionally, while reading to your child, look beyond just the pure enjoyment of the story to the possible lesson that could be learned. Questions that can be used for any story include:

If you were in this story, who would you be?
What is your favorite part of this story?
If you could change the story, what would you change?
What might a different ending be?
What do you think we should remember from this story?

One caution: do not over-engage the child into always having to think of the meaning. Some stories are to be read just for the joy of reading. If you are using it for discussion, only ask a few questions---about as many as the child is old.

Our focus for the month of September is a big one: "Making Mealtime Fun!" Don't we all long for that warm fuzzy time when we can come together and enjoy a good meal and quality time as a family? It is getting increasingly difficult with so many scheduling conflicts and people who are always busy, busy, busy. But I'm sure you know the importance of making time for the big items in our life and believe me this is one of the BIGGIES!

So how do we make it fun? There are lots of children's recipe books that include the children when preparing for the meal. An added bonus is that often when children help to prepare the meal they are more likely to try some new foods. Featured here are recipes that also include healthy food choices, with directions that are easily understood. Mollie Katzen has several cookbooks that appeal to young children. In Pretend Soup, younger children will delight in the creative names and pictures that entice them to want to eat what they have created. Other books she has written are listed in our Book List and also feature healthy foods and easy preparation. She also includes instructions for the grown-up helper as well as simple picture and word instructions for the child. As you prepare the meal, talk about the ingredients and how they help our bodies grow.

Imagine the fun it would be to have God as a guest at your table. There are even some children's recipe books that teach Bible lessons. Bible Lessons in the Kitchen: Activities for Children 5 and Up by Elaine Magee was written for church school classes. However, it is easily adapted and using it at home can enhance both the fun and the learning. Try the Mini Moses Root Beer Floats...sounds like fun to us! There is also Tasty Bible Stories: A Menu of Tales and Matching Recipes by Tami Lehman-Wilzig. This book, written by a Jewish author, features only Old Testament stories. It starts with a short summary of the story of Adam and Eve and of course, features apple recipes. Perhaps you would like to sample a stew that Jacob might have cooked. Follow up your preparation with a discussion: What is different today in our kitchen versus what was available to the people in the Bible story? Do you think it was easier or harder for us to make this recipe today? Why? What do you think God was trying to tell us through this story?

Speaking of fun, I must tell of a recent visit by our grandchildren. They love to watch the cooking shows on television, especially those featuring competition. On their last visit we imitated a "Chopped" competition. My 9 year-old grandson got to pick the three ingredients for each of the various courses from things he found in my pantry. The competitors were his father and his 8 year-old sister (with the help of her mother). The judges were my grandson, my husband and myself. It was all good fun and the most challenging ingredients were for dessert, which had to include the three pre-chosen ingredients plus whatever else the chefs wanted to add. The ingredients were brown sugar pop tarts, grapes, and marshmallows. It made for an interesting concoction, to say the least. But the real secret ingredient in this competition was the fun and laughter it produced.

Also included in our list are some good story books to help children get over the "picky eater" syndrome. Meals would definitely be more fun if we didn't have to bribe and coax our children to try something new. I love Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman and Marla Frazee. In this story the children seem to rule the roost when it comes to what they will eat. Each of the seven children has a favorite one thing they will eat. The poor mother tries to keep them all satisfied by preparing each child their own meal. Finally, on her birthday, the children get together, each bringing their one favorite ingredient. They mix all seven ingredients together to make mother something special. You can probably guess what it is (hintâit is her birthday). The illustrations alone are worth getting the book. I've included several picture/story books on this topic in the book list included with this article. Discussion questions might include: Can you define a picky eater?
Do you think you might be a picky eater?
Why do you think we should try new foods?
What new food are you willing to try?


For parents, read The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time by Laurie David, an all-inclusive "how to" book when it comes to family dinners. It will truly bring your family to the table. Also another resource is The Meal Box: Fun Questions and Family Tips to Get Mealtime Conversations Cookin' by Tom McGrath. This box of 54 creative cards, with questions and conversation starters, will spice up your family meal.

Also, don't forget to click on Heartfelt's Family 'Round the Table feature found in every issue, which will guide you through a fun and meaningful family mealtime experience.

Here's To Happy Eating!

Cookbooks for Toddlers to Pre-School Age
Bible Lessons in the Kitchen: Activities for Children 5 and Up by Elaine Magee
Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Pre-Schoolers and Up by Mollie Katzen and Ann R. Henderson
Salad People and More Real Recipes: A New Cookbook for Pre-Schoolers and Up by Mollie Katzen
Soup Day by Melissa Iwai


Cookbooks for Elementary Age
Cooking Art: Easy Edible Art for Young Children by MaryAnn F. Kohl and Jean Potter
Delicious Bible Stories: No Cook Recipes That Teach by Daphna Flegal
Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers & Eaters by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple
Family Fun Cooking with Kids by Deanna F. Cook
Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Cooks Ages 8 and Up by Mollie Katzen
Kids Cook! Fabulous Food for the Whole Family by Sarah and Zachary Williamson
Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook by Nicola Graimes
Kitchen Fun for Kids: Healthy Recipes and Nutrition Facts for 7-to-12 Year-Old Cooks by Michael Jacobson & Laura Hill
Mom and Me Cookbook by Annabel Karmel
Tasty Bible Stories: A Menu of Tales and Matching Recipes by Tami Lehman-Wilzig
The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Children's Cookbook by Marianne Zanzarella
The Kids Can Press: Jumbo Cookbook by Judie Gillies and Jennifer Glossop


Story/Picture Books With a Mealtime Theme:
Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
I Will Never NOT EVER Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
Mealtime (a board book) by Elizabeth Verdick
Night of the Veggie Monster by George McClements
No More Vegetables! by Nicole Rubel
Princess Picky by Marjorie Priceman
Suppertime for Frieda Fuzzypaws by Cyndy Szekeres

Celebrating the Church Year [13 celebrations for the church year] by The LOGOS Ministry

Celebrations [14 holiday themes] by The LOGOS Ministry

Crazy Nights [14 silly themes] by The LOGOS Ministry

Family Fun [dinner table games] by The LOGOS Ministry

Graces and Thanks [large indexed collection of spoken and sung cook thanks-you and graces] by The LOGOS Ministry

LOGOS Cookbook [favorite recipes from LOGOS churches all over the country] by The LOGOS Ministry

The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time by Laurie David

The Meal Box: Fun Questions and Family Tips to Get Mealtime Conversations Cookin by Tom McGrath