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Benefits of Family Meal Time
According to researchers at Syracuse University, family routines such as eating dinner together nightly are associated with happier marriages, improved children's health, and stronger family ties.
Children whose families usually sit down to a home-cooked meal at the table are less likely to be over weight than those who eat out or bring food in, according to a survey by Prevention Magazine.
Family meals are the perfect time to teach kids good manners and to model appropriate table etiquette. Sharing pleasant conversation around the dinner table can also help improve a child's social skills report many family relationship experts.
Dining together makes for healthier eaters. Kids who regularly eat with their families tend to have healthier eating patterns. They consume more fruits and vegetables according to several studies, including the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
Data suggests that children in families that eat together three times a week or less are more prone to trouble in school, poorer diets and behavioral problems according to leading researchers.
Research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University consistently finds that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs.