The Dinner Dilemma

Getting your family around the dinner table can be a challenge. But Tricia O'Brien, Features Editor of American Baby, has some tips on how to get your family together at meal time.

Try to make dinner together part of daily life. "It's a great time to set that family routine into motion," O'Brien says. "Really drive home the point that family time is really important."

According to O'Brien, the first thing you should do, is to "embrace the chaos." If your little girl ends up with half of her food in her hair, just go with it.

Dinner should also be "a group effort." Try to give everyone a task, according to their ages. You can also try to introduce some fun at the dinner table; Play a game, for example.

Lastly, try to be flexible. If your son or daughter doesn't eat every vegetable on the plate, let it go, O'Brien says.

O'Brien also suggests that if dinner together doesn't quite match your family's schedule, family time can also be done over breakfast or lunch. And every so often, reward the kids with desert - they'll love it.

For more information on how to get your family to share a meal together, as well as other parenting advice, click here.
By Yasmina Hatem