By Stephen Beech via SWN

COVID-19 lockdowns are in place family dinners back on the menu, according to a new study.

Researchers found that the pandemic not only caused many families to eat more meals at home, but it also had the added benefit of increasing the quality of family time during those dinners.

The US study showed that families who ate together more often during the pandemic also had more positive interactions, shared news and information and even adopted technology such as video conferencing to connect with distant relatives.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Anne Fishel, a family therapy researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said: “The predominance of previous research on family dinners focused on frequency as the primary predictor of benefit for children and adolescents.

“This study highlights the importance of examining both frequency and quality to understand the full impact of shared meals on families.”

The research team examined data from a May 2021 survey of 517 diverse parents across the United States.

Their goal was to study changes in frequency of family dinners and quality during the pandemic.

Participants were asked about the frequency of dinners, their quality and their post-pandemic expectations.

The survey included questions about positive and negative interactions, family support, and integration with the outside world.

Participants were asked questions such as: “During the pandemic, did all or most of the people living in your home dine together less, about the same, or more than before the pandemic ? »

They then provided answers ranging from one to five, with one being “much less” and five being “much more.”

More than 60% of respondents reported dining together more often during the pandemic than before the pandemic, according to findings published in the journal. Couple and family psychology: research and practice.

There was also a significant increase in positive interactions – such as expressing gratitude, laughing or feeling connected – during family meals.

Dr. Fishel said: “Specifically, 56% said they talked more and more about their days over dinner, 60% said they talked more and more about who they are as a family, 60% % said they increased their gratitude, 67% said they increased laughter together, and 59% said they felt more connected to each other around the dinner table.”

She said the positive association was evident across income levels, education, age, gender and race.

The study showed that the pandemic has also introduced new aspects to family dinners, including “distanced meals” with extended family members and more discussion of current events.

Dr. Fishel says many families have turned to video conferencing to communicate with loved ones, potentially strengthening the sense of belonging to a larger family unit.

She said most moms and dads who increased the use of technology for remote dinners during the pandemic said they plan to continue doing so.

The research team also saw an increase in families incorporating news and information from the outside world into their dinner conversations, potentially providing a “safe space” for children to discuss their anxieties and questions with their parents .

Dr. Fishel says that, overall, the findings suggest that the increased frequency of shared meals during the pandemic may have had “lasting positive effects” on family dynamics.

She said: “The pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, some for the better.

“Even if parents did not voluntarily sign up to share more meals, the increase in the number of family dinners was largely linked to the improvement in the quality of family dinners during the pandemic.”

Dr Fishel said the findings also highlight the potential benefits of using digital technology to connect with extended family and to incorporate current events into dinner conversations.

She added: “The continued use of remote technology to connect with those who are not physically present can create ongoing opportunities for family bonding and give children a sense of belonging to a larger unit, including us know that it protects their well-being.”