Sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante
Ever since we had kids hubby and I decided that having dinner together in the evenings was always going to be a priority. It seems like such a simple thing but the reality with work, after school commitments and all of the things happening these days make that easier said than done.
Did you know that family dinners have scientific benefits. There has been loads of research over the past 15 years which have confirmed that sharing a family meal is good for the soul, the brain and the health of each family member. Recent studies link regular family dinners with many behaviours that parents are hopeful for including lower rates of substance abuse, increased self esteem, lower teen pregnancy and depression and higher grades. Studies have also shown that dinner conversation is a more effective vocabulary-booster than reading, and the stories being shared around the dinner table help our children build resilience.
In our family we not only commit to trying to have at least 5 dinners at the table together each week but we also like to mix it up a little bit and have some fun with dinner to help make some meaningful and fun memories for the kids as they grow up.
Below are 5 Fun Dinnertime Family Traditions we do with our kids to make dinnertime a fun and meaningful experience.
1. Student of the Week
When your kid gets ‘student of the week’ let them choose dinner as a special treat for their great work at school. It is always great to hear that your child has been doing great at school and letting them choose what’s for dinner, which is pretty much always pizza in our house is one simple way as making that memorable and special.
2. Picnic Dinner at Home
In winter have a surprise dinner by the fire/brazier outside or in summer have a surprise picnic dinner on the floor either inside or outside. It is always fun to mix it up a bit and keep things interesting so we like to surprise our kids with fun dinners every now and then.
3. EPIC Days
Every night go around the table and share the EPIC WIN and the EPIC FAIL of each person’s day. We have found this to be a great way to find out more about what happened at school today which can often be hard to get out of our kids straight away. It takes a little getting used to but now our kids love sharing their WIN and FAIL of the day.
4. Reverse Dinner
When it is someone’s birthday you all get to have dessert first before dinner. This is just a bit of silly fun but memorable and the kids love it!
5. Restaurant at Home
Surprise “restaurant at home” experience for your kids. This is a massive favourite. It is not always easy to take your kids out to a restaurant particularly if you have a little one running around. Having mum and dad wait on you and take your order is very fun for kids.
Now I can absolutely honestly say that the number one dinner that is requested in our household which NEVER gets a complaint is frozen pizza BECAUSE how good is pizza!! Historically speaking us grownups would shudder at the thought of frozen pizza UNTIL we discovered via my mother in laws recommendation Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza. This pizza is the bomb! It takes 10-12 minutes to cook in the oven and tastes as good as if you bought if from a restaurant. It is like having your very own #pizzeriaathome
To prove just how good these pizzas really are Dr. Oetker put on a surprise celebrity ‘dining in the dark’ restaurant experience together where the guests were served frozen pizza.
This hilarious video of the restaurant experience is priceless. Make sure you watch the video to the end as you have to see the reactions after the surprise.
If you love pizza you absolutely have to give the Dr. Oetker Ristorante range a go. Their flavours include: Mozzarella; Spinaci, Prosciutto; Pepperoni-Salame, Bolognese, Funghi, Hawaii, Quattro Formaggi, and Pollo. Selected products are available at Woolworths, Coles and a number of independents (RRP: $7.49).
We hope you found an idea or two to surprise your kids with to make your family dinner memories last a lifetime.
