Parents and Parenting: Eating meals together can be a juggling act but a few meals together each week can be a fun and educational time together.

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Parents and Parenting: Family meals can be fun. Ideas to make them fun and educational.

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Busy lifestyles often make eating together a juggling act of the first order. 

Try picking a few meals that will be eaten together no matter what such as Sunday dinner (noon or evening meal) and at least three other meals per week. 

Expect a lot of grumbling with any new "rule" or change in schedule. If everyone, including parents, needs a really good excuse to miss meals, everyone will come around in due time. 

Make meals fun without including television. 

1. Picnics in the park or on the patio. A blanket in the park is a good way to spend a lovely spring or fall day.

2. Try a restaurant that is decidedly different such as a Buddhist temple, health-food store, or vegetarian restaurant. 

3. Eat at small local restaurants giving the family an opportunity to discuss why supporting local merchants helps the local economy and why this is important.

4. Have everyone in the family read a favorite poem before the meal starts, interpret it for the family, then lead a round-table family discussion.

5. Set a topic for another meal where everyone researches it and gives one side of the issue as they see it. 

6. Ask everyone to research the same topic again but giving an opposite side of the same issue.

7. Have a book discussion group. Example: Everyone reads a chapter in a book for next Sunday's meal together. One family member, on a rotating basis, facilitates discussion and everyone gets to voice an uncensored opinion. Everyone can have a turn choosing the book, too.

8. Watch a movie or video together, or separately if togetherness is not possible, then set aside a meal to discuss that particular viewing.

9. Have a night where everyone takes turns relating a happy time that happened to them during the week. 

10. Or start the meal with everyone relating a happy happening during the day.

You get the picture.

More information about parents and parenting.

Values can be taught--Do as I say.

Values can be caught--Do as I do.

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