Tips for Happy Meal Times
* Turn off the TV and turn on some music. Dinner is a great time to give a new music style a try. Let each family member choose the type of music for a different night. Several years ago I read a study that showed children were calmer and used better manners when classical music was played at mealtime. That might be worth trying if you have children who are overwhelmed at sitting at the table for meals.
* Make dinner, or even breakfast, extra special by eating by candlelight. Some families I know pick one night each week to have a fancy dinner. Though the food served may be something common, they dress in their nicest (yes, even Dad might need to wear a tie!), light candles, play classical music, and use the china and good silverware.
* Let your child (or children) plan the menu for at least one night each month. Make it extra educational by having them research new recipes, find out the nutritional content and figure the cost of the meal. If you have more than one child, let them take turns supervising the process and making final choices. I give gentle guidelines regarding the types of things the meal needs to have (but the final meal decisions are theirs). Or give them a main ingredient that needs to be used. You will probably be surprised at the recipes they come up with to use that ingredient.
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