Family Mealtimes: Benefits for Child Well-Being

This study suggests that establishing family routines could contribute to mothers’ overall well-being, but that establishing routines as an intervention in Head Start may have limited potential.

This project aims to bring families together to share their experiences and insights to help each other realize the benefits of family dinners. Together, they will figure out the resources needed to improve the frequency and quality of their mealtime interaction.

This parent discusses how to plan, prepare, and share family meals. In addition to health and nutrition benefits, family meals provide a valuable opportunity to reconnect.

This points out that routines are how families organize themselves to get things done, spend time together, and have fun. It discusses different kinds of routines and why they are good for both children and parents.

This article notes that naturally occurring family routines and meaningful rituals provide both a predictable structure that guides behavior and an emotional climate that supports early development.

This resource is geared to families of infants and toddlers where having a routine can help children know what to expect when it is time for meals or snacks. This article lists some routines and tips for mealtimes.

This article notes that when there are predictable routines in the family, young children are healthier and their behavior is better regulated.

This article presents 5 ways that family meals keep kids healthy.

It has been shown that families who eat together are healthier and happier. This article encourages families to cook together, eat together, talk together, and make mealtime a family time.

This guide suggests ways that parents can make family meals fun and pleasurable while promoting good eating habits.

This resource discusses ways to establish effective family routines.

This page contains information regarding how and when to wash hands, including information on how germs spread. Also included is a 1-minute video demonstrating how to clean hands.