The Montessori Group

  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

(321) 779-0031

  • Home
  • Montessori Overview
    • Why Montessori?
    • The Montessori Method
    • Origin of Montessori
    • What Makes Montessori Unique?
    • How Does Montessori Work?
    • How is Creativity Encouraged?
    • How Can a “Real” Montessori Classroom Be Identified?
  • Inside the Classroom
    • Practical Life Skills
    • Sensory Development
    • Language
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Geography
    • Art
    • Outside the Classroom
  • Programs
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Our Schools
  • Admissions
  • News
You are here: Home / Montessori at Home / The Importance of Family Meals

The Importance of Family Meals

July 25, 2016 By Jana Morgan Herman 1 Comment

Did you know there is a way to increase your children’s vocabulary by tens of thousands of words, help them to become better listeners, allow them to express themselves more civilly, convey feelings of parental understanding, ensure they have higher nutrition levels, reduce their stress, and make them less likely to smoke or use drugs?

Family Eating Meal Together In Kitchen

It’s simple: Have a family meal together once a day.

By sharing meals together as a family, children learn firsthand what values are important to their family. Without thinking or planning, parents are showing their children how to converse with others in meaningful ways. Children watch as parents ask after each other and help console each other on a rough day, or celebrate milestones or achievements. They see how people who care about each other offer support and courtesy, learn to gauge others to see how they respond, and acquire a host of other important communication skills.

Children who eat dinner with their families learn more about their cultural (what, how, and when they eat), ethnic, and religious beliefs. A study from Emory University (Bohanek et al., 2006) shows that children who know a lot about their family history have a closer relationship to family members, higher self-esteem, and a greater sense of control over their lives.

These benefits extend even into the teenage years! 71% of teens in a Columbia University study reported that catching up and spending time with family was the best part of family dinners. Research shows that children who eat family meals get better grades, are more motivated, and get along better with others (CASA, 2012).

On the other hand, a 2011 study shows that children who do not have family meals are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, try drugs, feel depressed, or have trouble at school (CASA, 2011). A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health found that, even if the family members are not very close, having a meal together reduces the risk for many of these troubling behaviors among youth (Gengler, 2011).

It may take a bit of thinking and rearranging schedules, but family meals provide better outcomes than other after-school activities. So unless your child loves those activities, consider letting one or some go to make time for family meals. Additionally, meals eaten at home are usually healthier than meals eaten on the go, and children are likelier to eat a variety of foods that they prepare with you and benefit from learning how to plan a menu and shop for ingredients.

This practice may take a little getting used to, and, depending on your schedules, maybe a different meal would work better for you—think family breakfast. In the end, having a meal together (without the TV on or phones at the table) provides an ideal context to grow together as a family. It’s not surprising that, for as long as there have been people, celebrating—even brokering peace—has been done by breaking bread together.

About Jana Morgan Herman

JANA MORGAN HERMAN, MEd, is director of Kenwood Montessori School, Louisville, KY. She has been a parent and teacher educator, Early Childhood coordinator, and curriculum coordinator and has presented at many AMS conferences. She is AMS-credentialed (Early Childhood, Administrator). Contact her at janamorganherman|@|gmail.com.

Comments

  1. Amy Winters says

    September 4, 2018 at 11:53 am

    Thanks for pointing out that having family meals means children will be less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. My nephew is starting middle school this year, and my sister recently told me that she’s worried he’ll get in with the wrong crowd and try drugs. I’ll definitely suggest that she try to eat more meals as a family, whether at home or at a restaurant, to help prevent drug or alcohol abuse in her kids.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Montessori Overview

Join our mailing list

Admissions

The Montessori Group encourages applications from all students. We look for children and parents who share our goal of a nurturing, cooperative atmosphere in which to challenge students to reach their full potential in their intellectual, physical, and artistic pursuits.


Montessori Links

  • American Montessori Society
  • Michael Olaf
  • Montessori Foundation
  • Nienhuis Montessori

Recent Posts

  • Curious how we are different?
  • Finding the Right Preschool
  • International “Sing Peace Around the World” Event
  • What Types of Sound Experiences Enable Children to Learn Best?
  • Cynthia Thomas builds The Montessori Group into a thriving enterprise

Accreditations

SACS Accreditation

SACS Accreditation

Affiliations

American Montessori Society

Location

The Montessori Group MapThe Montessori Group
1290 Highway A1A
Satellite Beach, FL 32937
(321) 779-0031

Copyright © 2023 · Outreach Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in