Family Dinners: One Meal At A Time

The beginning of the new school years marks the opportunity to set new goals for your family. As a counselor, I have often encouraged parents to assess the needs of each young person in the family, and help create environments and experiences that will help that child grow throughout that year. I’ve also encouraged parents to take stock of each season and look for new ideas that will build family together time, supporting family harmony.

There is value in reflecting and planning. Unfortunately, these are steps that often get overtaken by our hijacked family schedules via involvement in activities that all seem like a good idea at the time. Our invitation is to consider family experiences with fresh eyes.

If there was just one thing to be done to help your kids would you do it? Truthfully, there is one important lifestyle habit that could be integrated every day to the benefit of everyone – and it is easily within our grasp.

The answer is simple: Have family dinner time at least five times a week. Safeguard the time. Maintain it as a divine appointment.

September 26 is National Eat Dinner with your Family Day; and Youth First, Inc., is proud to celebrate this event with our community.

During the last 22 years, thousands of American teens have been surveyed through the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA Columbia). The results are compelling and readily overlooked by our manic interest in helping kids get ahead in whatever endeavor that demands our attention.

But consider these outcomes: Teens who have dinner three times a week or less with their families as compared with the peers who have dinner five (5) times or morewith their families are:

Nearly 3 times more likely to say it is Ok for teen my age to use marijuana.

3.5 times more likely to say it’s ok for teens my age to get drunk.

Favorable attitudes toward drug and alcohol use are a key risk factor for teens. Family meal time diminishes the risk greatly. CASA Columbia reports that teens who have family dinners have stronger relationships with their parents, and these relationships lead to greater trust. Put simply, “Teens who have high-quality relationships with Mom and Dad are less likely to use drugs, drink or smoke.”

But what about mental-health concerns? “The Journal of the American Medical Association” reports that young people who engage in family meals have better socialization, and meal time enhances their mental health. As young people feel better in relationships, their stress is diminished. Another study in JAMA reported that students who have regular family mealtimes bounce back better from the impact of cyberbullying.

Young children also build vocabulary and the ability to discuss topics when the family meal is present. Anne Fishel, co-founder of the Family Dinner Project at Harvard, notes that young children learn as many as 1,000 uncommon words at meal time compared to 143 from parents reading story books aloud.

“The Journal of Marriage and Family” additionally reports that children who spend more time in family meals (and getting adequate sleep) have better results academically.

Family mealtimes have vast importance in the life of our kids. Get started today with some food, fun and conversation that will have lasting impact.

Remember – September 26 is National Eat Dinner with your Family Day!  

For more information about Family Dinners see http://thefamilydinnerproject.org