I am convinced it is the single greatest thing you can do for the health and happiness of your family.” – Jason Kotecki
Between work schedules, and your children’s activities, it can sometimes feel like a near impossibility, yet family dinners can help your family stay connected.
Studies show that children who sit down to a frequent family dinner are less likely to drink or smoke, do drugs, get pregnant, suffer from depression, and develop eating disorders.
They also have larger vocabularies, better manners, higher self-esteem, and more resilience.
A study out of the University of Michigan found that the number of mealtimes children shares with their families at home was the single strongest predictor of high academic achievement.
Many of your parent concerns have the potential to be improved by sitting down to a regular family dinner.
President George W. Bush stressed the importance of regular family dinners. He made a public service announcement in support of Family Day in 2007 with his mother, Barbara Bush.
“I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day by engaging in activities that strengthen the bonds between parents and children.”
President Obama weighed in during his 2010 Family proclamation:
“Simple daily activities such as sharing a meal, a conversation, or a book can have an enormous impact on the life of a child. Strong and engaged families help build a strong America, and it is our responsibility as concerned family members to discuss the dangers of substance abuse.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, among others, has also taken up the family dinner cause.
“Creating this ritual where you turn off the TV, ignore the phone and just spend quality time together is crucial to helping your children feel emotionally, spiritually and mentally balanced. We all can generate a list of reasons why we cannot possibly fit dinner with the family into our schedule. The time has come to say enough with the excuses and just do it. Trust me, it means more to your kids’ futures than you think. If I can find the time to have meals with my family, so can you.”
Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM is celebrated in September. It was launched in 2001 by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Family Day is a national movement that reminds parents that frequent family dinners are an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance-free.
The more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.
Scheduling is often an issue when both parents often work. Children are often involved with sports or theater activities which can interfere. Cell phones and texting are a source of interruption.
When schedules prohibit a regular dinner time meal, consider family breakfast or scheduling dinner at an earlier time to satisfy the needs of your family. Flexibility is the key.
Come together as often as you can whenever you have the time. Try eating dinner together one night a week if that is all that is possible, or have a snack in the evening together as a family. Consider the weekends, if the weekdays are too busy.
Here are five reasons why regular family dinner is important.
It can relieve stress. A study from Brigham Young University found that sitting down to a family dinner helped families, but especially working moms lower the tension from long work hours.
Your kids may eat more veggies. Children tend to eat more fruit and vegetables and less junk food when they sit down to a family dinner.
It is the perfect opportunity to share new foods. Rather than insist that your child eat what is on their plate, exposing them regularly to new foods and giving them the opportunity to try them will teach them to enjoy a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables.
Reduces a child’s chance of smoking, drinking and using drugs. Substance abuse can affect any family, but interacting with your children at the dinner table is one more way to help prevent substance abuse.
Helps Your Child’s Grades. A family dinner is a great time for conversation. It is the perfect opportunity to build your child’s vocabulary by talking with them and an opportunity for them to listen to adults talk to each other.
Finally, according to the National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University (2007), compared to kids who have fewer than three family dinners per week, children and teens who have frequent family dinners are:
- At 70% lower risk for substance abuse
- Half as likely to try cigarettes
- Half as likely to be daily cigarette smokers
- Half as likely to try marijuana
- Half as likely to get drunk monthly
- One third less likely to try alcohol
- Likelier to get better grades in school
- Less likely to have friends who drink alcohol & use marijuana
- Likelier to have parents who take responsibility
- Almost 40% likelier to say future drug use will never happen
As with anything, family dinners are not a guarantee against substance abuse but is one more tool in your kit to help your child make healthy choices and have a successful life.
Do you have regular family dinners? Is there a family mealtime that works better for you? Please share your thoughts in comments.
