Last week, I had the chance to attend a Stouffer’s event in Ohio. The goal was to learn more about bringing families together at the dinner table and engaging in conversation with our kids.
Did you know that families who sit at the table to eat, have teens that are less likely to do drugs? Or have better grades? Or are more likely to go to their parents when a serious problem occurs? I could go and on but the facts are just that, proven facts!
There were a few experts we had the chance to hear from and while they were all great, it was family therapist, Carleton Kendrick who brought tears to my eyes. Not only can you see his passion for what he does, it was his story telling about his family at the table that touched my heart. You see, we really didn’t sit at the table to eat. My mom was a single, hard working woman. Many times she worked late and I had to fend for myself but most of the time she came home, whipped something up and stood at the counter to eat.
I have vowed to make sure our family eats the table every chance possible. We’ve always done this but hearing how much it can improve the relationships between us a family, in a positive way, it just encourages me even more to continue what I’ve been doing with my kids.
TAKE THE LET’S FIX DINNER CHALLENGE!
- 1. Sign up and register. It takes no time at all folks!
- 2. Set your family’s weekly dinner goal. (you’ll be entered into a sweepstakes too)
- 3. Update your family’s dinner status each week. You’ll be entered to win more prizes!
When you sign up to take the challenge, you will be helping a hungry family. For every person that signs up to take the challenge, Stouffer’s will donate to help feed hungry families.
I am taking the challenge and hope you do the same. It’s always a good thing to spend time with the family doing it at the dinner table, kills two birds with one stone!
Thanks so much Stouffer’s for allowing me to attend this event, not just for the educational purpose of it, but also because it really hit home for me and made me realize just how important it is to have that family time. I’m grateful for it.
To the rest of you, I’ll be posting more on this in the coming days, including some footage from Antonia Lofaso, who was on Top Chef, along with other great photos at the event!
My mom stayed at home and my dad traveled constantly, I remember the nights that he’d be home and we’d sit around the table for hours just catching up on school and work. Even now when I go home, we end up forgoing the living room and chatting around the kitchen table.
I’m off to sign up now, thanks for the link!
I am signing up as well! What a great cause, and very important reminder. Thanks, Lori!
I’m already all signed up!
I really wish that more people would take having dinner with their family more seriously… It is soooo important!
My family always ate dinner together at 5 o’clock sharp, and besides that one time my mom found a beer can in my sister’s closet, we were good kids.
Yes, the stats are just staggering at the difference a shared family meal makes on the lives of our children. Amazing!! So glad they did this.
We eat dinner as a family every single night of the week.
Our family eats dinner together pretty much every night. There are rare occasions where it doesn’t happen that way. We always ate dinner together when I was growing up and can’t imagine it any other way.
I saw your post on FB and wanted to give you some comment love. I am glad that you had fun at the event and that it had a lot of meaning for you and your family. Growing up, my family ate together every single night. It’s the same for my husband and I now, and I am sure will continue when we have kids.
I signed up even though we already do eat dinner together every night. It’s a great way to help someone.