Shall We Gather 'Round the Dinner Table?

I'll never forget while eating lunch with Michelle at Primary Children's Hospital I observed a little girl about Sophie's age (at that time Sophie was almost two), sitting quietly across from her mother, using a fork and eating her lunch. She didn't stand on her chair or get off of it over and over for that matter. She ate well and her mother would talk to her in a quiet, calm way. I was struck with the thought, "This little girl's family sits together as a family and eats their dinner together on a regular basis." Intrigued, I asked the mother if they did indeed eat often together as a family. The mother's eyes brightened as she said, "Yes, this is very important to me for my family." Michelle and I then had a lovely chat with this fine mother.

Now, with time to think about this important subject, "Eating together as a Family," I would like to share some ideas of why it is important and also things that can be done as we gather as a family around the table.

Dinnertime is often the only time a family has to be together. I think one would agree that it is important that at least once a day all members of the family sit down together and relax and find out what everybody's day has been like. Also, a little bit of effort put into making each meal special goes a long way toward health and contentment. As families get older, there will be times when a family member is absent. If we make dinnertime together a priority, however, we will have more times being together than not.

There is so much that can be done around the table. Here are a few ideas with no particular order of importance: 1) Have Culture or Ethnic nights. Let family members choose what they want to learn about. Plan assignments such as who will find recipes fitting the culture, who will prepare them, someone to find interesting facts about a culture, someone to find music from that culture to be listened to while eating, perhaps an after dinner craft related to the culture could be made. Be creative and enthused. This could become a favorite monthly event. 2) At some time during the day (preferably when the family is gathered for morning scriptures and prayer), have family members express their wish for "today." Write it down (So you might consider having a scribe). Then, at dinnertime, allow each family member time to share how or if their wish came to pass. The scribe could record a little bit of this and it could become a family journal about things learned and experienced. What a treasure this would be! 3)Have a "Scripture of the Week." Memorization could be rewarded. Values could be applied. Just think, 52 scriptures could be internalized in a year's time. Again, a record could be kept of which scriptures have been treasured. 4) Make a conversation jar and keep it as part of the centerpiece at your dinner table.(I'll give you a good start for this jar in my next blog.) Each night you could have someone pull out a question to be discussed by the entire family. Be sure to encourage "all" to participate. Keep a sense of humor (to me this is the most important rule) and never allow criticism or derogatory comments to be added by others while someone else is focusing on the question. (Manners are thus learned at the dinner table.) 5)Play different types of music during your meals and allow family members the time to discuss what the music does for their moods and the level of enjoyment the music allows them while eating their food. 6)Discuss important "news events" of the day. 7) Learn about a different value each week. Share experiences that you have learned about that value each evening.

Well, I am sure you can see the value of gathering 'round the dinner table. Don't just say, "I'll work on it." Remember and do it. The benefits will be great and you surely won't have any regrets.