Recent research has shown that family dinners really matter. According to the Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse, regardless of a teen’s gender, family structure, or family socioeconomic level, teens who eat dinner with their families often are more likely to:
- Do well in school
- Be emotionally content
- Have positive peer relationships and healthier eating habits
- Be at lower risk for thoughts of suicide
- Have lower levels of stress
- Be bored less often
Other findings include:
- Teens who have dinner with their families two nights a week or less are at double the risk of substance abuse as teens who have frequent family dinners.
- Frequent family dinners become more crucial as teens move from middle school to high school.
Remember, family dinners are less about the food served and more about the time spent together.
Use this time to talk and reconnect. Invite conversation. Ask open ended questions and really listen to one another. Encourage your teen to invite their friends to join in family meals.
Create rituals around birthdays, holidays, the first day back to school, religious celebrations, and even vacations. All create a sense of togetherness in families who are often busy with many activities. Rituals send the message that family time together is important.
Appreciate when your family is together, knowing that this time together has benefits beyond the meal. One final incentive: teens who eat dinner with their families are 40% more likely to score A’s and B’s than their peers whose families ate separately.