Description
Kids need more than food. They’re starving for family dinners.
Sports, activities, long hours, and commutes — with so much to do, dinner has been bumped to the back burner.
But research shows that family dinners offer more than just nutrition. Studies have tied shared meals to increased resiliency and self-esteem in children, higher academic achievement, a healthier relationship to food, and even reduced risk of substance abuse and eating disorders.
Written by a Harvard Medical School professor and mother, Home for Dinner makes a passionate and informed plea to put mealtime back at the center of family life and supplies compelling evidence and realistic tips for getting even the busiest of families back to the table. Chock full of stories, new research, recipes, and friendly advice, the book explains how to:
- Whip up quick, healthy, and tasty dinners
- Get kids to lend a hand (without any grief)
- Adapt meals to the needs of everyone — from toddlers to teens
- Inspire picky eaters to explore new foods
- Keep dinnertime conversation stimulating
- Add an element of fun
- Reduce tension at the table
- Explore other cultures and spark curiosity about the world
- And more
Mealtime is a place to unwind and reconnect, far from the pressures of school and work. As the author notes, family therapy can be helpful, but regular dinner is transformative.
Author Bio~
Anne K. Fishel, Ph.D., author of Home for Dinner: Mixing Food, Fun and Conversation for a Happier Family and Healthier Kids, is the director of the Family and Couples Therapy Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate clinical professor of psychology at the Harvard Medical School. As cofounder of The Family Dinner Project, she has been interviewed by NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Good Housekeeping, Parents magazine, and other major media. She writes the Digital Family blog for Psychology Today.
Reviews:
“This transformative book will change your family’s life for the better. With persuasive research and delightful stories, Dr. Fishel offers solutions that any parent can put into place at home, around the table. You must read Home for Dinner . . . and so should every family therapist in America.”
— Michael Thompson, Ph.D., coauthor of Raising Cain
My Review:
My copy of Home for Dinner could not have come at a better time to help me with my New Year’s Resolution of having more family sit-down dinners! I am not kidding, my family never eats around the dinner table. I always felt bad about this because growing up, my parents always made sure we had family meals at the table. (There were seven of us children, and somehow my folks managed it, so why can’t I?)
Home for Dinner will definitely be my go-to guide for trying out new recipes that suit the taste of everyone in my family. This book is full of ideas I would have never thought of on my own! I am anxious to put this book to good use. It will definitely be an incentive to get my family back around the table for meals.
For more information please visit https://thefamilydinnerproject.org, and follow on Facebook and Twitter
Purchase Home for Dinner: Mixing Food, Fun, and Conversation for a Happier Family and Healthier Kids
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book to review and to keep. All opinions are my own.