Challenge #1

Happy Friday to everyone out there.... whoever you are.

Friday is going to be challenge day here on this blog. So.... The first challenge is going to be:

Make time for one family meal each day.

It is a busy world and we all lead busy lives. I know that some days this just isn't possible but the challenge I put forth to you is to pick one meal every day and sit down, TV off, at the dinner table and eat together. Dinner is sometimes the easiest, but in some families there are too many things going on in the evenings. That's ok. Try having breakfast as a family. Now, I'm not saying that everyone gather around in their Sunday best and eat pot roast that has taken all day to prepare. Even if there are toys all over the floor, and the kids are going crazy, just sit down. Turn the TV off. Have sandwiches and chips (or that delicious salad that I posted yesterday) and eat dinner together. Take turns asking how every one's day was. Don't accept "fine" for the answer. Ask what the kids learned, what was the favorite part of the day. Ask your spouse what work was like, or if they stay at home, ask them if they heard anything of interest on the news or went anywhere. If you don't do this very often, it might be uncomfortable at first. There might be silence. That's ok. Keep doing it.

We started having "family dinner" every night when my daughter was very young. It became a game to her. If I would ask my husband how his day was, she would say "No momma, I ask daddy. He ask you, you ask me." She knew even at two exactly what to expect when we sat at the table. This taught her table manners and patients. She had to learn to not interrupt. She learned to try new foods. We would use the time to work on her pronunciation of words. If she wanted more peas, she had to say "peas, please." It helped her language skills. What I think has been most important is that talking to my husband and I has become a routine part of her day. She notices if we don't have family dinner. Asking about each other's day and talking about our own day is something that she sees as normal and natural. When she turns into a teenager, I hope that this lays the groundwork for further communication.

It isn't easy every night, and sometimes my husband works late or is out of town. Sometimes there is a special movie on and we decide that we will eat in the living room and watch as a "treat," however, eight out of ten nights, between 5:30 and 6:00 pm, we sit down at our kitchen table and eat dinner. Some nights we have pot roast, some nights we have leftovers. The important thing is that we do it as a family. We are communicating and taking interest in each others lives. We, as parents, are showing our girls that we care about them and each other.

Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with serving a healthy dinner, but studies have shown that eating in front of the TV actually causes a person to "zone out" and eat more. If we constantly eat as we are running out of the house, it is hard on our digestion. Sitting down and eating while having good conversation will slow down how fast your eating and help aid in digestion. Studies have also noted that children in houses where a meal is shared are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. This is mainly attributed to the increased communication with parents as well as parental involvement. If you have older kids, this might be the one time each day that you can make sure they are getting a healthy meal. And finally, getting a healthier family is done by getting healthier as a family. If you serve healthier food, but your kids just end up snacking on chips because they are off to soccer practice, your efforts aren't going to work.

So... skinny kids fat world challenge #1 is:

Slow down, sit down, and eat as a family. It's worth it.