These photos were taken in the days where my hair was still long. I sometimes do miss my long hair but I love the playfulness that my current short hair brings.
I don’t stay with my family and with my hectic lifestyle, most of the time I am so busy, my mummy sometimes can’t get any time on the phone to chat with me. So I always make sure I have at least one meal during the weekends with the family unless I’m out of Singapore. As they say, a family that eats together, stays together.
Recently I realized that whenever I meet my family, we’ve been eating out. I really miss my mummy’s home cooked dishes but she tends to cook only on weekdays where I don’t ever make it back to my parent’s house for dinner. I complained to mum and she said she will make an effort to cook on weekends just for me 🙂 That made me feel totally loved! (I’m simple to please right?)
Maybe it’s because of the way I am or maybe it’s because my family loves good food but I absolutely adore the idea of being able to get as extended a family as possible to sit down and enjoy a meal while, taking leisure in each others company.
While I’m sharing with you my photos, I’m going to give you 5 reasons why (if you don’t already) make time to eat with your family as often as possible even if everyone’s schedule is a little difficult and troublesome to arrange.
Reason 1: Bonding
Setting time to sit everyone down in one place gives an informal chance to catch up on everyone’s well being and current life status. Of course, these days we have Facebook to check on immediate updates but nothing beats a face to face catch up session. I not only do this with my family but I try to do this with close friends as well.
Reason 2: Learning to eat with company
Eating as a group brings out a whole different side of cultivating the right eating habits. You learn to coordinate your time, to mind your table manners, to be more considerate of the people you are dining with. Even ordering the type of dishes is a skill that is sub-consciously cultivated. Over time you will take note of the dishes that each of your family members like, you will take note of allergies or strong dislikes, you will share a passion for food, new finds and be a lot more tolerant and patient then if you just ate alone in front of the TV.
Reason 3: Widening your scope of experiences with food
When I eat with my family, they will always encourage me to try new cuisines or to try out vegetables that I don’t really fancy. It’s a lot less intimidating when I know I can just take a piece or two as I’ll never order the dish otherwise. I think this culture is extremely good if you have young children in the family as children follow by example. If you are sampling all sorts of foods, chances are, they will too! This makes them less likely to be picky eaters.
Reason 4: Nutrition
I’ve been eating out with my family a little more often these days. But when I used to stay with my parents or had the time to meet 2 to 3 times a week to eat with them, most of the time, it’ll be home cooked meals. It’s such a hassle to cook a meal for just one or two individuals but when everyone in the family is there for a meal, it makes sense to cook. I’m sure you know that home cooked meals are better, more nutritious and healthier compared to eating it out. It also means that you can guarantee there’ll be no MSG!
Reason 5: Save Money
It’s basic economies of scale. It’s always cheaper to cook for more than for less. Even eating out, dishes can be shared and you’ll get more variety without having to over-order.
