But this story is about eating together as a family, at the table. It doesn’t matter if the “table” is at home or at a restaurant; nor does it matter if the meal is breakfast, lunch, or dinner. What matters is having that family meal.

When you share a meal, you’re more likely to share a conversation, share a feeling, or share a memory. Studies have shown that families who eat together generally have healthier diets—richer in fruits and veggies but lighter on fried foods and fat—than families who don’t. Regular family meals have also been associated with higher grades and lower rates of substance abuse and depression in children.

So how can your table become a magnet for family members? These tips may entice them:

• Keep a pen and a blank piece of paper labeled “shopping list” on the counter. Your kids are more likely to eat the foods they request than the ones you choose for them. Even simpler: Type up a list of your family’s favorites so that everyone can just circle their desired items.

• Take your kids to the supermarket. When they are young, you can play food games with them, such as choosing food by color or shape. As they get older, you can teach them how to read food labels, an invaluable skill.

• Encourage your kids to get down and dirty in the cooking process. It’s exciting for them to eat food they prepared themselves. If you have several children, cook with each of them individually to impart cooking skills and knowledge about healthy eating.

• Have a family cook-off where each member is challenged to come up with something delicious and healthy using only a limited number of ingredients. Award prizes for the most creative, most colorful, and most interesting dishes.

• Assign designated nights where each child can choose the appetizer, main dish, side dish, or dessert. That way, each person feels like he has contributed to the meal. You may want to provide the options, though, so you don’t end up feeling like a short-order chef.

• Be spontaneous. If the weather is nice, eat in the backyard. Mix things up and have breakfast for dinner. Heck, maybe even eat on pillows on the living room floor. All that matters is eating together, as a family.

• Aside from healthy food, the most important item on the menu is good conversation. Start a fun dialogue or play games at the table to keep mealtime lighthearted. This is also a great opportunity to share the day’s events or what you’re all thankful for.

A great responsibility rests on parents’ shoulders because children mimic their parents’ behavior. It still brings me great joy to have cooking parties with my grown kids and to watch them make wise choices when they stock their own pantries and refrigerators. A parent’s chief goal should be to raise a child that is healthy—both physically and emotionally. A healthy diet is a great way to forge that path.

While my boys were growing up, the Sunday of Mother’s Day meant that I had to stay upstairs in my bedroom until their “surprise” was ready for me. I could tell by the clanging of pots and pans that an attempt was being made to duplicate one of our favorite recipes and that I was going to be greeted by irresistible baked goods and a sink filled with dishes. Although the countertops were often doused in flour and it seemed there were more ingredients outside of the pantry than in it, whatever they made came with a side dish of love…an ingredient I tried my best to pass along to my children.

I always believed that the kitchen and supermarket were akin to invaluable classrooms where kids could learn lessons for life. The majority of the time, I played the role of teacher in those classrooms, planning family meals and creating tasty dishes. But on Mother’s Day — the kids ruled where messes got ignored and messages rose to the top. 

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to let your kids show off the skills they picked up from you — so help them to give you the greatest gifts of all:

1. Let them shop. If you’re preparing a special meal, let your kids be in charge of crafting the shopping list. Let them help decide which items to put into the cart. A trip to the store is a great opportunity to explain why some foods are better than others, compare labels, and plan how the bounty in your cart will be woven into your exciting day ahead. 
2. Let them cook. You don’t have to be an iron chef to teach your kids the essentials about how to throw together a few ingredients to create a delicious dish. Share a few easy recipes with them so they can take a whirl at creating something without your help. If your children are young, be sure to include recipes that don’t require the use of knives or a stovetop and if they want to play in the kitchen without your help…be sure that someone like dad is around to oversee the operation. 
3. Let them create a tradition. In our busy lives while multitasking is commonplace, we miss out on the importance of creating a moment that could become a memory forever. Connecting in the kitchen on this day can be magnetic and attract many other days where you all sit at the table and share more than a meal. Families that eat together share essential conversations, with the table acting as a welcome mat for discussing the ups and downs of your lives.

I’m excited to see what my kids have in store for me this year. As they have grown, their cooking skills have blossomed along their appreciating for the importance of blending nutritious and delicious on the same plate. These days…they are teaching me.

I wish you all a Mother’s Day filled with those that reside in your home and your heart.