Good for Grown-Ups Too
September 21, 2009
Newsflash! Family meals benefit adults too. This piece of information comes from a recent study of 1,500 people who work for IBM. The study’s authors wanted to find out the positives as well as the negatives that come when we juggle work and family life.
One result came through loud and clear: People who were able to make it home for dinner felt better about their jobs and about their families. This was true for people in low and high level positions; even for those who worked long hours. Interestingly, it was more pronounced for women than for men.
The study’s authors think that perhaps, “women feel a greater responsibility for dinnertime and thus experience greater benefits.”
Making it easier for employees to get home for family dinner helps the company too. Employees who can join their families regularly for meals perceive the company as being more emotionally healthy, and are more likely to stay on the job. Anything that promotes work/life balance is, in my humble opinion, a win-win.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
