EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Family Tech
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It’s dinner time, but no one is at the dinner table. One child has soccer practice while the other has yet to finish his homework. Dad’s home late and mom is exhausted from chauffeuring everyone around town. Even if mom made dinner, it may be eaten at different times to accommodate the ever-active family schedule. GatherRoundTheTable.com is a new website that encourages families to enjoy an evening meal together. “Families are in such a frenzy today. So many are over-scheduled and I think it really takes a toll on the family,” says Nikki Stauffer, a mother of 2 from Grand Rapids, Mich., who is the website’s designer and editor. “I want to get across how gathering your family around the table is so important to your children’s growth, well-being and future. It’s a wonderful source of family time, a way of slowing down and keeping a family in contact during a hectic week.” According to a 2006 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, the more often children and teens eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs. They’re more likely to have higher self-esteem and to say their parents believe in them and trust them, according to Stauffer. GatherRoundTheTable.com offers easy recipes, links to parenting articles and reviews on family-friendly movies, toys and products. New recipes can be downloaded daily and include low-carb, low-fat meals, desserts and even vegetarian dishes. The movie reviews include suggestions for conversation starters related to a particular movie’s theme. Stauffer says many companies are promoting “quality family time,” such as KFC’s “Gather Round the Good Stuff” campaign and CASA’s annual “Family Day: A day to eat dinner with your family.” “The dinner table is the most important piece of furniture in your house. It’s where homework gets done, where family conversations happen, where friends gather at parties, where anything can happen,” says Stauffer. “But it doesn’t have to be a family dinner. There just needs to be a family meal planned every day, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner.” Stauffer says a spin-off to create a television show based on the website’s premise is in the works. She is currently working with a local NBC-affiliate network to create a show that will focus on all things related to what you can do at the dinner table. “We plan to share recipes, speak with authors, dieticians, offer conversation starters, work on crafts, and much more,” she says. “My goal is that ‘gather round the table’ becomes a household phrase. It truly makes a difference.” |
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