Making the Most of Taco Night with the Family
Why is Taco Tuesday so popular? Because people love tacos, of course! If your family rarely makes time to get together and share a meal, starting your own family Taco Night could be just the way to encourage everyone to sit down together and enjoy some yummy food and great company.
Dinner Time = Family Time
Did you know that only about 30% of families make it a priority to have dinner together regularly? We get it. Especially as your kids get older and have more conflicting priorities, getting everyone to dinner at the same time is tough.
Experts have been researching the benefits of family dinner for over three-decade and they’ve come up with some fascinating results. Here are some reasons you may want to make eating dinner together a priority for your family, according to the Family Dinner Project:
- Kids perform better academically than those who don’t participate in family dinner.
- There is a lower risk of substance abuse and depression.
- They experience lower rates of obesity and healthier eating patterns.
- The nutrition they receive is better than if they were to grab something quick from the kitchen to eat.
- They experience greater self-esteem and a greater sense of resilience.
Give Them Choices
Instead of dictating how your new taco night will go, gather the family together and let them make a few choices. Pick a day and time together and make a commitment to turn off all distractions during dinner – cell phones, televisions, and other devices are put on pause for this. You could have the kids help pick out the ingredients and help with the prep work, if they like. Come up with a family agreement together about the do’s and don’ts for family dinner. You could even print out the agreement and hang it in the kitchen or dining room as a reminder of the commitment you made to each other to keep family dinner special.
It’s important that your family dinner nights are positive, uplifting, and fun so that everyone enjoys attending and spending time together. While deep conversations are welcome, if everyone wants to do that, hold off on any criticisms or lectures during this time. You want these memories to keep your family coming back.
Tacos are Versatile
If your family is getting bored with the same taco fixing, switch it up! There are many different ways to do tacos and you aren’t limited to just one. Creativity is encouraged. Whether you add queso, go for fish tacos, or slow cook some shredded beef, there are multiple ways to keep taco night fun for the whole family! (Remember, the best part of taco night is getting to build your own.)
If you don’t have the time to cook or don’t have a confident chef at home, that doesn’t mean you can’t have Taco Night with the family. There are plenty of places to go out and enjoy tacos including restaurants and food trucks! Taco night is for everyone and could be a great way to connect with your family this year.
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