How to make family dinners a regular part of your week

Between soccer games, homework, friends, video games and band practice, it can seem like there aren’t many occasions for your family to come together during the week. So how do you find moments in your busy schedules to set aside distractions and spend time together? Family dinners, of course! Here are a few tips on how to make these a regular part of your week.

Plan meals in advance
Some nights, enjoying a family dinner may not be possible. However, you should try to plan out at least three or four dinners in advance with your children to dissuade them from making any other last-minute arrangements. Once you’ve agreed on a few meal times, make sure your kids stick to them.

Involve the kids in cooking
While there’s nothing wrong with ordering a pizza on a family meal night, home-cooked meals are better for the kids (and you!) from a nutritional standpoint. This provides you with the chance to involve your children in cooking as well. While you wash veggies and prepare the oven, you’ll have more time to chat about what’s going on in their lives.

Ditch the distractions
Some households have a habit of eating dinner in front of the TV, which distracts from the bonding and conversation that should be happening during these family meals. Switch off the TV and make sure no texting is going on at the table so you can spend quality time talking about the important stuff – friends, school, sports and other developing parts of your kids’ lives.