Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Creating Meal Time Memories

October 31st, 2017     By Marie Ruhter, Boys Town Family-Teacher

At The Table, Family, Mealtime

We try to have dinner together as a family every night in our Boys Town Family Home. Even on days when everyone “fends” for themselves or we do leftovers, we still sit down to pray and eat together.

It’s a must for our household because eating together is so much more than pushing potatoes or vegetables around on a plate. This is where we learn about our boys, see their personalities and get to know them better.  We use  conversation starters to find out about their day and to teach to what they tell us is happening.

That’s probably my favorite part; that the dinner table is where my husband and I get to role model positive behaviors and teach a variety of skills our boys can use for a lifetime – cooking for others, showing appreciation, learning how to pray, respecting others, having appropriate conversations, developing healthy eating habits and cleaning up after ourselves.

We put a lot of importance on our dinner time together and we have a few rules in our house that help us get the most out of it:

In our time here at Boys Town, we have really come to see how important mealtime memories still are to the youth who lived with us before they graduated. Many of them will share stories and talk about how much they appreciated all of the meals we shared together when they call or stop by to catch up.

We hope the youth who live in our home today come to realize the same thing – that eating dinner as a family is a great way to spend time together and to build healthy relationships. Most importantly, we hope it’s a tradition they take with them and share with their own families after they leave Boys Town.

 

Related Posts

 

 

How to Enjoy New Twists on Traditional Holiday Ritualshttps://www.boystown.org/blog/Pages/How-to-Enjoy-New-Twists-on-Traditional-Holiday-Rituals.aspxHow to Enjoy New Twists on Traditional Holiday RitualsFrom family gatherings and holiday meals to religious services to gift exchanges, many of the much-loved rituals of the holiday season won't look familiar. And that's okay.December 2, 2020Parenting AdviceFrom family gatherings and holiday meals to religious services to gift exchanges, many of the much-loved rituals of the holiday season won't look familiar. And that's okay.Boys Town Contributor
Passing Along a Message of Thankshttps://www.boystown.org/blog/Pages/Passing-Along-a-Message-of-Thanks.aspxPassing Along a Message of ThanksNovember 13, 2020Parenting AdviceBoys Town Contributor
Nourishing Your Teen Goes Beyond Just Putting Plenty of Food on the Tablehttps://www.boystown.org/blog/Pages/Nourishing-Your-Teen-Goes-Beyond-Just-Putting-Plenty-of-Food-on-the-Table.aspxNourishing Your Teen Goes Beyond Just Putting Plenty of Food on the TableIt’s in our family-style residences that our youth receive the care and guidance they need from trained couples called Family-Teachers®. Other kids receive the same high-quality care in Family Homes at several of our affiliate sites around the country.September 19, 2018Parenting AdviceIt’s in our family-style residences that our youth receive the care and guidance they need from trained couples called Family-Teachers®. Other kids receive the same high-quality care in Family Homes at several of our affiliate sites around the country.Father Steven Boes, President and National Executive Director, Boys Town