Tips for Better Family Dinners in 2013
If your resolution is to have better, more frequent family dinners in 2013, start by asking your family what they would like to improve about dinner. Then, as a group, commit to two or three manageable goals. Here are a few possible family dinner changes:
If your resolution is to have better, more frequent family dinners in 2013, start by asking your family what they would like to improve about dinner. Then, as a group, commit to two or three manageable goals. Here are a few possible family dinner changes:
Eat Healthier: Carrots, mixed greens, spinach, kale—these vibrant vegetables are great for you! Start small, and try a new veggie side-dish or attempt a “meat free” night. Cooking Light has some excellent vegetarian recipe ideas and you can’t go wrong with quinoa salad!- Talk More: Strengthen family bonds by resolving to have more in-depth conversations at the table. These conversation tips and the discussion ideas below will help you move beyond “one word” answers. Additionally, check out our blog about encouraging kids to express feelings at dinner!
- Include Kids in Dinner: From chopping tomatoes to picking out music for the meal, kids can help with dinner in all sorts of ways. This helps them learn valuable cooking skills and encourages family bonding. Here’s how to get your kids more involved in the dinner process.
- Have More Fun!: Ok, so this blog post is titled “9 Fun Food Activities for Spring Break,” but you could do them any time of year. Why not make a meal from a favorite book or have the kids transform the dining room into a restaurant?
- Plan Meals in Advance: It takes a bit of forethought, but planning meals can be a huge help. On the weekend, set aside an hour to scan recipes and write down your meals for that week. This cuts down on weekday stress and worrying!
Remember: You don’t have to be perfect! Missing some nights won’t keep you from achieving your dinner goals – but getting discouraged will. Let go of perfect and keep trying!
New Year’s Games & Activities
Reflecting and Resolving
Have family members write down their five proudest moments from 2012, as well as five things they’d like to accomplish in 2013. Once you’re gathered for dinner, share your accomplishments and hopes!
Mad Lib Resolutions
After you’ve shared your real resolutions with each other, have fun with our Mad Libs-style resolutions. Fill in the blanks with suggestions from different family members. Then read each resolution out loud!
- This year, ______________(name) will eat more ____________(noun) made with organic ____________(noun) so that he/she will feel more _____________(adjective).
- This year, ______________(name) will stop spending money on unnecessary ___________(nouns) so that he/she can buy the ____________(adjective) ____________(noun) that he/she has always wanted.
- This year, ______________(name) will do ___________(large number) push-ups for __________(small number) minutes so that he/she will have the physique of a ____________(animal).
- This year, _____________(name) will meditate for ______(number) hours while chanting ____________(song) in order to find inner ________________(feeling).