Your Dinner Table Might Be the Key to a Happier Family
BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT MEALTIMES Dinner doesn’t have to be at 6 p.m. on the dot. If Kamala has a karate tournament in the evening or Peter needs to stay late at school for art club, why not break out the healthy snacks and make dinner happen a little later or earlier? Plus, the meal you share as a family doesn’t have to be at dinnertime. If there’s time in the mornings, sit down for breakfast. If you have the opportunity on weekends or during a school break, grab lunch together. CALL ALL HANDS ON DECK Mom or Dad shouldn’t be expected to cook by themselves for every meal. This is family time, after all, so call in the kids! Make sure their tasks are age-appropriate — leave sautéing vegetables to the high schooler and let your first-grader set out the cups instead. This is the perfect opportunity to teach kids valuable kitchen
The family dinner is a staple of years gone by. These days, the only time you see a family sit together and break bread seems to be at Thanksgiving. This is a shame, because regular family dinners are incredibly important! It’s a time to bond with your loved ones that can have a positive impact on your kids’ lives. A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that kids who regularly partake in family meals are less likely to experience depression or engage in drug use. Furthermore, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University determined that kids who eat family meals five to seven times a week bring home higher report cards. Even when schedules are busy, you can make family dinners fit into your agenda with these tips.
skills and to take some of the burden off your plate. Plus, if your kids are picky eaters, inviting them to be part of the cooking process can make them more inclined to try the finished product. DON’T STRESS YOURSELF OUT It’s okay if you’re too busy on a Monday to cook dinner. There’s always Tuesday. Or you can take a trip to your favorite family restaurant. Family meals should be fun, and that can’t happen if you’re stressed. Don’t feel pressured to make each meal perfect or to prepare a three-course dinner every night. Chicken and rice can get the job done as long as you’re all sitting around the table as a family. No matter how hectic your schedule may be, making family meals a priority is always worth the investment. Who’s in the mood for meatloaf?
DRUNK DRIVING DANGERS What do Christmas, Halloween, New Year’s, St. Patrick’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Fourth of July, and Labor Day have in common? These are all holidays where people often consume too much alcohol and get behind the wheel. This month, people will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, so we wanted to give some advice to help minimize your risk of being struck by a drunk driver, as well as what to do if it happens. Pay attention to what they actually do, and yield the right of way if you have to. Wait for the other driver to act before you do. Finally, in addition to the popular holidays, Friday and Saturday nights are when drunk drivers are more likely to be on the roads.
Filing a civil suit is also an option. If the at- fault driver has previous DUI convictions, a suspended driver’s license, or is convicted of a DUI after your accident, your suit could be easier, but every case is different. Drunk driving is no joke, and we want you all to have a safe and happy March. Please do us and yourself a favor and pay extra attention this month for drivers behaving oddly. And of course, if you have any questions, please give us a call.
If you are struck by a drunk driver, you have several options. The first priority is to get immediate medical treatment if necessary. Next, report the accident to the police so they can arrest the drunk driver. After that, it’s best to speak with an attorney. You might be able to make a claim against the driver’s insurance or your own. This is one reason why it’s a great idea to have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own insurance policy.
The first thing you can do is avoid driving at night. Most accidents involving alcohol happen after dark when visibility is limited. If you do go out, you should never assume other drivers will follow the rules of the road. For example, if someone has their turn signal on, don’t assume they’ll turn.
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