I recently read an article detailing how family dinners are back in vogue. Although study after study shows the benefits of family dinners, for most families on the go, it was difficult to attain. However, more and more, families are starting to once again realize the benefits of sitting down to share a meal together. And by sitting down, I mean gathering around a table, not all sitting in their respective seats in a car or on bleachers.
I think this is a great thing. To me, the reason behind why a family sits down to dinner together several nights a week is irrelevant. The article I read said that more families are eating together as a byproduct of the Recession—unemployment, smaller restaurant budgets, less kids’ activities are all cited as reasons. The intended point is that less money equals more meals at home (not to mention the health benefits, and long term effects on the kids such as better nutrition, better school performance, lower rates of drug use, etc).
But why not use these meals as a learning experience? After all, for most of us, our financial education begins at home. This comes into play particularly if a family is experiencing a reduction in income. Family meals are the perfect time to discuss what’s going on, answer questions the kids might have, as well as provide a lesson in home economics. For instance, during these meals, families can discuss:
- The cost of eating at home versus in a restaurant. Let’s say your family is eating hamburgers and French fries, with the whole meal prepared at home with ingredients purchased at the supermarket. Ask the kids how much they think the meal cost to prepare and then ask them how much they think it would have cost at a mid-priced restaurant. Compare the prices. Talk about why it costs less to make the meal at home. Explain why your budget needs the savings. Or, if you’re not on a strict budget but want to reduce your dining out budget, discuss with the kids what the family as a whole can do with the saved money (day at an amusement park or the zoo or a new game or toy, for example).
- Having a grocery budget. And how to maximize it. Talk to the kids about why it’s necessary to review what’s in the pantry and freezer before you go to the store. Share why you do (or don’t) use coupons and shop sales. Discuss stockpiling. Explain why you need to have a strict budget and why you can’t just grab whatever you see on the shelves anymore. You can even ask the kids for their input on what items they think they can do without and which ones they can’t. Including them in the process makes it less difficult. Kids can process more than we think they can, and sometimes in our efforts to protect and insulate them we leave them confused. Talking to them about the budget makes them feel included in the process which in turn makes it easier for them to handle the adjustment.
- Menu planning. Explain to your kids why you need to plan your meals carefully. Discuss how menu planning impacts the overall grocery budget, and how by menu planning meals and snacks, there might be some extra room in the budget for treats like a half gallon of ice cream or an additional bag of chips. Ask them for their input on what foods they’d like to eat. You can even use this an opportunity to come up with a way for creative menu planning. For instance, each family member is assigned a day of the week to pick that day’s meals. Talk about weekly meal themes (ex., the first week of the month is new foods week or the last week is Mexican food week). Try to make menu planning fun and interesting for your kids. This way, they won’t really notice the change in habits.
These suggestions should be adjusted based on the age of the kids in your home. Older kids might be more resistant and younger kids might not even notice. But that doesn’t mean you should stop trying to include them in the process.
And if the biggest impact you’ve made is creating some family memories, well, that’s okay, too.
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[…] at Daily Money Shot shared a post this week about using family dinners as a PF teaching tool. She’s right – family dinners are a great time to connect with the kids and talk to […]
Our kids are little but we still make sure to sit down as a family every night as it will continue to be ‘normal’ and it’s very important for us to have that family time. No TV, etc.
Money Beagle recently posted…I’ll Take No Icky Water For 90 Cents, Please!
We do the same. No TV, no phones, no games. We figure we can spend 1/2 hour a day without those distractions. That family time is crucial to us.
While I don’t have children, I do like eating at home. It saves money and is more intimate.
Michelle recently posted…Summer Bucket List
My daughter actually prefers to eat at home most of the time. Which is a huge compliment to my cooking (and my wallet)!
I don’t have children but my guy and I do eat at home a lot. And most of those meals, we sit at the table and have no TV or phones. Not always but enough times and we’ve discussed that we want to continue this when we do have kids. We also usually take turns cooking or meal planning.
bogofdebt recently posted…Some Random Facts about Me
Before we had kids, we actually discussed this. The husband and I both grew up in households with family dinners and we agreed that it was something we wanted to continue with our family. I do 95% of the meal planning and cooking but he does 95% of the dishes…it works out nicely.
Did you read that NY Times article about baby food pouches? There are now pouches of mashed up fruits & veggies that babies and toddlers can eat on the go. Family dinners are always in vogue according to experts but I doubt the feasibility… or even necessity… of daily sit-down dinners for most people.
Well Heeled Blog recently posted…Honeymoon Spending Summary
I think if you make an effort, it’s totally feasible. And if it’s not, well, maybe then those families need to readjust their schedules. And if they can’t do that due to work or some other unavoidable reason, I’ve read that for families that can’t do family dinners, family breakfasts provide the same opportunities. It’s not so much about the meal, it’s about making sure we spend time with our families.
I love the idea of family breakfasts / brunches!
Well Heeled Blog recently posted…Honeymoon Spending Summary
We used to talk about everything with our children or expose them to everything. They learn much more from what we did versus what we told them.
krantcents recently posted…Cash Is King or Is It?
Kids definitely learn by observing and watching. It’s why we try to set as good of an example as possible. Taking our flaws into account, of course!
I disagree with Well Heeled’s comment. Our sit down dinners are my favorite time of day. Sure, we skip them much of the time because we’re a hurrying, busy family, but I love the chance to talk to my kids and spouse about what we did. I like the community and sharing that we usually catch “on the go.”
We also have a family book club that we do during dinner. Right now we’re reading Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You To Be Rich. We read a chapter and talk at dinner.
Family sit down dinners are cheaper for us and they rock.
AverageJoe recently posted…5 Summer Activities to Create Money Savvy Kids: High School
I doubt we eat dinner out more than once a month on average, and my kids activities were almost always scheduled around our dinners, so we eat at home a LOT. It means I know the food they’re eating is good for them, plus frugal to boot. And we get some face time with the kids, which is becoming more important as they get older.
Kris @ BalancingMoneyandLife recently posted…Struggling with Who I Am, and Who I Want to Be
Half the reason for writing my blog was too document how we not only put dinner on the table but eat as a family (most nights) with the crazy busy schedule we have. In August one kid will be playing football, another softball and another will be in gymnastics. Plus,school and church activities. Eating as a family is a priority in our family. When my husband was promoted at work it meant a month of him not making it home for dinner so we woke up early to have a sit down breakfast together, every morning. I didn’t realize how odd it was for families to sit down together until I started asking how other people made it happen. Family time is more than a priority for us, it’s our way of life.
As for the financial aspect. Our kids don’t know what our grocery budget is but they know we have one. They also help meal plan, make a grocery list, go grocery shopping and even “help” cook. We have talked and discussed the above points so much in the past that now it’s just a way life for our kids.
We eat at home most of the time, occasionally eating out only when it is unavoidable. This gives us tremendous savings.
Amy Turner recently posted…9 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids about Money This Summer
With both myself and my partner working long hours, we used to eat out a lot. It was only when we sat down and looked at our finances that we saw just how much money we were wasting every month.
Andrew recently posted…£36,8000 is minimum income for “acceptable lifestyle”