Milena Djakovic: The extreme importance of the family dinner   

It’s unfortunate how many families, nowadays, no longer take the time to sit down and have dinner together.  The most important time of the day may vary from one person to another, but Milena Djankovic believes that, for families, it’s the evening, when family members gather to break bread together.

According to Milena Djankovic, there isn’t one main reason dinner time is extremely important.  It’s a number of interconnected factors that make this time in a family’s day significant, especially if more than one family member is busy with their responsibilities throughout the day.   Below, Milena shares some insights as to why families should find time to have dinner together.

1. It’s the ideal time to bond

Milena Djankovic explains that in the mornings, while everyone in a household interacts with one another, they are normally in a hurry to get to work or school.  At night, the atmosphere is generally more relaxed, even if people had gone through a hard day.  This comfortable atmosphere allows for better, more free-flowing conversation, which is as Milena Djankovic notes, the best time to bond.

2. It’s the best time for parents to touch base with their kids

For parents who spend the day at work, dinners are the best times for them to learn about their children’s day.  Milena Djankovic explains that this is the time when children tell their parents about school activities or ask permission to attend social gatherings such as parties or sleepovers.

3. It’s a great time for parents to explain to their kids what they (parents) do

According to Milena Djankovic, children are almost always interested in what their parents do for a living.  During family dinner, parents can paint a picture of their work while talking about their day.

4. It’s probably one of the rare times children can air their grievances

One of the most important reasons to have dinner together as a family, notes Milena Djankovic, is that it affords children the chance to speak, not just about how well their day went, but also about any incident during the day that had affected them negatively.  It’s a rare time to let children talk about issues such as being bullied in school, or not being able to join a varsity team.

5. It’s an important time away from technology

Milena Djankovic mentions that for a family dinner to work, parents should ban the use of any electronic device on the table, as well as turn the television off during dinner time.  Since most everybody’s lives revolve around technology in one way or another, family dinners provide a much-needed reprieve.

6. It may be the only time to show mothers how much they’re appreciated

Milena Djankovic gives a shout out to all mothers who take the time to painstakingly prepare dinner for their family every single day.  Family members should realize just how much effort is put into the preparation of food and know that the mothers who do it only have the satisfaction of their families in mind.  And this is as good a reason as any to have dinner as a family.

Milena Djankovic is the president and co-founder of RockerMama, the maker of The Ready Rocker™.  She is a loving mother to two children.  Learn more about her work and company here.