Importance of Eating Dinner as a Family

CLEVELAND - Between sports and other after school activities, having dinner as a family can sometimes feel like a challenge.

But as Kate Eshleman, PsyD, a psychologist with Cleveland Clinic Children’s explains, it’s important to prioritize when possible.

“There's a lot of value for families eating dinner together. Opportunities that come up during that time are just interaction, so parents and children hearing about each other's day.It's important for kids to share about their day, but also for kids to hear, within appropriate range, about parents' days as well,” said Dr. Eshleman.

She said eating dinner as a family also gives the child the opportunity to eat more mindfully.

When they’re on a tablet or watching TV, they may not notice hunger cues or overeat because they’re distracted.

In addition, that time together gives parents the chance to spot any changes in the child’s behavior.

Maybe they’re acting differently or seem upset about something.

Dr. Eshleman said it’s okay if you’re unable to have family dinners every night of the week and what matters is you’re doing any at all.

“It's hard to parent, and it's hard to do all the things that are expected of us as people and combine that with parenting. And so, I encourage you to be kind to yourself and find ways that work for your family.It's not really about exactly how and when it happens, but just making it happen in a way that fits your family's needs,” she noted.

Dr. Eshleman said on nights where you can’t be together, you could spend time talking to your child at bedtime, or instead of dinner, you could eat a light snack and chat before they go to their practice or activity.