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    Published:
    Vol. 23 No. 2-4(52-54) (2019)

    Family meals as a tool for building family relations and preventing mental and social disorders in children in the United States

    Mateusz Dańczak MSF
    Studia nad Rodziną
    Section: Artykuły
    https://doi.org/10.21697/snr.2019.52-53-54.2-3-4.09

    Abstract

    The author undertook to develop the topic: family meals as a tool for building relationships. The analysis of the literature on the subject shows that the family meal has changed in history and very much depended on the economic and social situation of the family. In the earliest times, women and children, due to their low social position, could rarely eat with men. The situation changed when the woman became the caretaker of the hearth and the children played an increasingly important role. During World War II, the image of the family eating dinner was used for propaganda purposes, but due to the number of men on the front, it rarely materialized. The 1950s, when they were common, were considered the 'golden age' of family meals.

    Today, the frequency of family meals depends on many factors. We can mention changes in the family structure or high extracurricular activity of children. Results vary across studies, but many have seen a decline in the frequency of family meetings at the table. Parents, like their children, value the time they spend together while eating, and one of the main advantages of such meetings is strengthening the bond between parents and their children. However, this is not the only positive thing about family meals. Among adolescents who regularly eat with their parents, there is a smaller number of people suffering from depression and using various types of stimulants. In this specific group, there is also a noticeable positive impact on the educational performance of children and adolescents and the problem of overweight.

    Keywords:

    meal, tradition, values, children, upbringing, role of family meetings

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    Citation rules

    Dańczak MSF, M. (2020). Family meals as a tool for building family relations and preventing mental and social disorders in children in the United States . Studia Nad Rodziną, 23(2-4(52-54), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.21697/snr.2019.52-53-54.2-3-4.09

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