Alma Cogan - Little Things Mean A Lot (CD 2005)

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) reports that teens who have dinner with their families five or more times per week are almost twice as likely to receive A’s in school. Out of the classroom, these same teens are nearly fifty percent more likely to stay away from alcohol and about thirty percent more likely to refrain from cigarette smoking.

And, a University of Minnesota study reports that “prioritizing structured family meals that take place in a positive environment can protect girls from destructive eating habits that can lead to anorexia and bulimia.”
Plus, other studies confirm teens who eat with their families are more likely to get good grades, and find that those children have friends you approve, and confide in you.
All powerful reasons to dine together and to make dinners pleasant. But, how and when? Here are ideas I offered USA Weekend magazine and a few others you can easily adopt with your family:

Start family dinners early in your children’s lives.
Serve breakfast for dinner on busy nights.
Lower your standards. Takeout, delivery or prepared foods are fine. The point is togetherness, not gourmet cooking.
Eat with whomever is available. Soccer game? Dance rehearsal? Pack a picnic and take it on the road.
Get the kids involved in the menu, prep and cleanup. Once they are invested, they'll be motivated to attend.
Make sure you don't gripe, grill, criticize or argue at the table. "Dinner should be a positive," Newman says. The point is to make it fun, not drudgery, for everyone.
Spread the word that dinner is not optional in your house, and bring the family together on as many nights as you possibly can.