logo
BabySparks
logo
  • What is BabySparks?
  • The Science
  • Childcare Providers
  • Learning Center
  • Get BabySparks
  • en
    • es
Prev
Developmental benefits of puzzles 0
The Power of Puzzles
03 May 2019
Next
Hand-Eye Coordination: How the Eyes, Brain & Hands Work Together 0
Hand-Eye Coordination: How the Eyes, Brain & Hands Work Together
14 May 2019
Cognitive
Family Meals: The Many Benefits for Children
9 May, 2019 by BabySparks in Cognitive

Benefits of Family Meals for ChildrenSitting down as a family to eat (especially with a wiggly toddler) may seem overwhelming. You have to cook, set the table, and convince your child to eat her peas rather than throwing them on the floor (while your own food gets cold). Why bother?

As it turns out, decades of research say parents should bother, because family meals reap valuable, long-term benefits for children. The good news is that eating together doesn’t need to be elaborate.

We’ll get to tips for keeping mealtime simple, but first let’s take a look at how family meals benefit little ones, through the story of a dinner. Note that the main character in the story is a toddler, but we think it’s never too early to expose little ones to family meals — even before they start eating solid food!

Highlights: 

  • Research shows that family meals provide long-term benefits for children. And the good news is — family meals don’t have to be elaborate! 
  • Family meals have many developmental benefits:
    • Mealtime chores, like placing napkins at the table, help children gain independence and learn how to follow directions. 
    • During family conversations, toddlers practice talking, narrative skills, and gestures. They’re also absorbing new vocabulary and building receptive language skills. 
    • Watching the family eat healthy meals helps children learn how to make healthy food choices later on in life. 
    • Parents can model self-care skills like using utensils and drinking from a cup.
    • Family meals are also a great time to practice manners and self-regulation skills. 
  • It counts as a “family meal” even if it’s one child and one adult, it’s brief, or it’s a snack. 
  • The benefits of family meals rely on connection and meaningful interactions, so remember to put screens away during mealtime. 

Developmental Benefits of Family Meals

It’s nearing dinnertime and a father hands his 22 month-old toddler, Carla, a stack of napkins and asks her to take them to the table. When she’s done with that, she steps on a stool and Dad helps her use a pitcher to pour water into cups. Dad knows that helping out at home benefits little ones in valuable ways, and these mealtime tasks are an easy way to build chores into Carla’s day. They also teach her how to follow directions, and are a great way to gain independence and practice fine-motor skills.

As per their dinnertime rule, Mom and Dad silence their cell phones and leave them on the kitchen counter before heading to the table. The family sits down and embarks on a conversation (using a lively mix of words and gestures) to talk about Carla’s day at daycare. During this chat Carla practices talking, narrative skills, and social skills like conversational turn-taking. She has other opportunities to practice social skills, too, like when she gestures for more potatoes and lowers her voice after Mom demonstrates a “dinner table voice.”

For a few minutes Carla listens to her parents talk to each other. It’s one of the only times during the day that she’s exposed to their conversations, and her receptive language is busy acquiring new information. In fact, research out of Harvard University shows that family meals build children’s vocabulary even more than reading to them, because children hear an impressive amount of unique words. (Carla’s parents still read to her every day, though, because they know it’s linked to many positive outcomes.)

Carla’s been eyeing the green beans on her plate (they’re not a favorite food). Dad knows this, and stabs a few of his own with his fork and eats them with gusto. His exaggerated enthusiasm makes Carla laugh, and she imitates him. Over time, watching her parents eat healthy food at meals will land her in the pool of other children who are exposed to family meals at least three times a week: They are more likely to make healthy food choices, be at a normal weight, and avoid eating disorders.

Throughout the meal, Carla’s self-care skills are hard at work as she tries to be just like Mom and Dad: Using her fork, drinking from an open cup, and wiping her face with a napkin. She’s also beginning to learn manners, although her parents’ expectations around manners are age-appropriate: They do let her play with her food (within limits), because she’s less picky when she’s allowed to explore food with her hands.

After 15 minutes, Carla starts squirming. Her parents know this is normal, so they let her get down and play nearby. Over time, she will learn to sit for increasingly longer periods. That, along with learning appropriate mealtime behavior, will help build self-regulation skills.

If they continue to eat together, research says that Carla is likely to feel bonded with her family, and experience less depression, anxiety, stress and substance abuse.

So we know family meals are linked with a host of benefits for little ones, but they may feel hard to pull off. We’ve gathered tips from experts to help you keep them simple.

Tips for Family Meals

It’s a “family meal” even if:

  • It’s just one child and one adult
  • It’s brief
  • It’s a snack

Keep it simple by:

  • Cooking a large batch of something over the weekend to reheat for weekday meals
  • Prepare quick meals (The Family Dinner Project is a great resource for quick, healthy recipes)
  • Toss ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning so they’re ready at dinnertime

Skip electronics because:

The benefits of family meals rely on family members connecting with each other. Personal screens are connection crushers.

About frequency:

If it’s hard to imagine finding time for family meals, start with one a week. It can be breakfast, weekend lunch, dinner, or a snack. Once that feels manageable, increase the frequency from there. The Family Dinner Project notes that even one shared meal a week can benefit a family.

Lastly, if you want tips for encouraging all of the mealtime learning we highlighted above, our BabySparks program is full of ideas!

 

0 Comments
  • chores
  • family meal
  • independence
  • language skills
  • language
  • nutrition
  • self-care
  • toddler
  • baby
  • fine motor skills
2 Like!
Share
BabySparks

Recent comments

    Tags

    baby child cognitive feeding fine motor gross motor health language language skills milestones parenting sensory social-emotional speech toddler
    ABOUT US
    THE TEAM
    TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY
    support@babysparks.com
    FacebookInstagramPinterestTwitter
    Copyright © 2020 BabySparks LLC. All rights reserved
    logo
    X
    GET BABYSPARKS
    Step 2 of 2
    ACTIVITY PACKAGE:
    (All Prices in USD)

    Form of Payment

    Monthly: $1.25 per month/per child
    Annually: $12.00 per year/per child (20% discount)

    Form of Payment

    Monthly: $2.25 per month/per child
    Annually: $21.50 per year/per child (20% discount)

    Form of Payment

    Monthly: $5.00 per month/per child
    Annually: $45.00 per year/per child (25% discount)

    Number of children:

    x per child

    Total Amount

    SELECT YOUR METHOD OF PAYMENT
    * Required field
    Buy now BS

    BabySparks Premium Gives You…

    Access to 1,300+ development activities & milestones

    An expert-created program to support the development of children under your care

    Tools to increase family engagement, invite each family to use the program at home

    Ability to track each child's progress in real-time (and share it with his/her family)

    Add unlimited children, caregivers and locations to your account

    Manage and track progress across your organization through our desktop dashboard

    Cancel your subscription at any time

    By clicking on the button below, you agree to our Terms of Service & privacy policy.
    X
    EDIT YOUR ACCOUNT
    Your account
    Change your password
    X
    EDIT YOUR METHOD OF PAYMENT
    Update payment method
    * Required field
    Buy now BS
    By clicking on the button below, you agree to our Terms of Service & privacy policy.
    X
    UPDATE YOUR PACKAGE
    Your Activity Package
    (All Prices in USD)

    1 Month

    $ 3 99

    per month

    1 Year

    $ 23 99

    per year

    Update your package at any time
    (All Prices in USD)
    Pay as you go

    1 Month

    $ 3 99

    per month

    50% Discount

    1 Year

    $ 23 99

    per year

    60% Discount

    Lifetime

    $ 39 99

    one time

    How does it work?

    You can change your activity package at any time.

    The change will take place at the end of your current subscription period.

    You will only be charged the new rate once the change takes place.

    Cancel Activity Package
    X
    LOGIN BABYSPARKS

    Forgot your password?

    X
    PASSWORD RESET
    X
    RESET PASSWORD
    X
    GET BABYSPARKS
    Step 1 of 2
    Create Your Account

    Already Have an Account? Login

    X
    GET BABYSPARKS
    Step 1 of 2
    Create Your Account

    Already Have an Account? Login

    X
    GET BABYSPARKS
    Step 2 of 2
    Logged in as: (Not me)
    Select Your Activity Package
    (All Prices in USD)
    Pay as you go

    1 Month

    $ 3 99

    per month

    YOUR OFFER

    $ 2 99

    50% Discount

    1 Year

    $ 1 99

    per month

    Paid Annually: $23.99
    YOUR OFFER

    $ 2 99

    60% Discount

    Lifetime

    $ 39 99

    one time

    YOUR OFFER

    $ 2 99

    BabySparks Premium Gives You…

    Access to 1,300+ development activities & milestones

    An expert-created program to support your child’s development

    Weekly development reports summarize progress

    Browse activities for any situation

    Expert-written articles about development

    Sync up to 5 devices (add family and caregivers)

    Add up to 5 babies to your account

    Cancel your susbcription at any time

    * Required field
    Buy now BS
    By clicking on the button below, you agree to our Terms of Service & privacy policy.