TRADITIONS EXPERT MEG COX OFFERS TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF FAMILY DINNERTIME

KFC Family Dinner Report Reveals the Importance of Family Meal Occasions

LOUISVILLE, KY - Author and traditions expert Meg Cox says dinnertime family rituals are key to building bonds and defining relationships. As she writes in her new book, The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Everyday, such customs provide a sense of comfort and help generate lifelong memories. And, yet according to KFC's Family Dinner Report, while 71 percent of American families eat dinner together more than four times a week, only one in four (25 percent) celebrate dinnertime rituals or traditions.

In her book, Cox, who is working with KFC to highlight the importance of family meal occasions, suggests ideas for creating relevant traditions-what she calls "ritual recipes"-that work with, as opposed to against, the demanding times and changing needs of today's contemporary families.

Tips for Creating Family Rituals
"Families should try to have at least one solid 'connection ritual' each day," says Cox. "The dictionary says a ritual is 'an action repeated,' and that's what makes them so special."

While Cox lists many rituals in her book, here are a few of her favorites:

Tip #1: "Finger Foods Only"
Make dinnertime fun! Surprise kids and go against conventional wisdom once in a while and serve a meal that requires absolutely no utensils. Everyone wears a bib at the dinner table and can only eat with their hands - including mom and dad. Friday and Saturday nights are perfect for finger foods as nearly 70 percent of households bring dinner in these nights.

Tip #2: "Toast Night"
Don't get hung up on preparing elaborate meals. Nearly 65 percent of families reported they would eat dinner together more often if they could shorten the meal preparation time. So instead of spending hours in the kitchen, pick up take-out or have dinner delivered and serve it on your "fancy" dishes or china. A convenient option: buckets of chicken and side dishes such as BBQ Baked Beans and mashed potatoes & gravy from KFC. The only catch? Require that each family member make a toast before digging in.

Tip #3: "Conversation-in-a-Jar"
Since more than 50 percent of families talk about social or family plans at the dinner table, make it possible for family members to share new thoughts, opinions and discoveries with each other. One way to get the conversation rolling is to place a jar in the middle of the table full of offbeat topics. At dinner, each family member picks a topic and starts the conversation. Some ideas: "The most surprising thing about me is…." and "The best book I recently read is…."

Tip #4: "Kids Choice"
Given that kids decide what's for dinner in only two percent of households in America, put the responsibility on them to select the meal one night a week. Making that decision can be both fun and empowering for a child. After all, one night of peanut butter & jelly can't be that bad.

About the Author
Meg Cox is a journalist, author and expert in family traditions. A former reporter for The Wall Street Journal, she has interviewed everyone from Rupert Murdoch to Queen Latifah. Cox is the author of The Heart of a Family: Searching America for New Traditions that Fulfill Us. She writes for a wide range of magazines including Family Fun, Good Housekeeping, Parents and Cooking Light. Her new book, The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Everyday (Running Press Book Publishers; May 2003; $12.95, 128 pages; Paperback) was inspired by real-life families whose stories are shared within the book.

KFC® Family Dinner Report was conducted by Impulse Research Corporation in June 2003. The survey was conducted on the Internet among a random sample of 1,031 parents in America with children at home whom were all members of the CyberPulse™ Advisory Panel. The sample was chosen to closely match US population demographics.