Released Oct. 15, 2007

STILLWATER, Okla. – Sitting down and having dinner with your family can make a difference. Research reports that family dinners make a positive impact on children and youth.

“Making time during hectic work schedules and after-school activities for family mealtimes is a positive step in preventing later problems among today’s youth,” said Debbie Richardson, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service assistant parenting specialist.

More specifically, studies show that teens are healthier and are less likely to become involved in risky behaviors if they regularly dine with their families.

“The more often teens have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs,” she said. “Those who have dinner together five or more nights a week are almost 50 percent less likely to try alcohol compared to teens that have dinner with their families two nights or less per week.”

Studies show teens whose families eat together regularly show less depression, are less likely to have sex at younger ages, and get into fights or be suspended from school less often. In addition, they develop better eating habits and tend to be less stressed or bored.

“These findings suggest that eating meals frequently as a family enhances the health and well-being of youth and they also seem to become more important in later teenage years, although that is often the time when eating together significantly decreases,” Richardson said.

Mealtime can help foster and encourage communication between parents and children and is a time when parents can provide a healthy and positive influence for their children.

Richardson said this is a good opportunity to let parents monitor their child’s activities, friends and school progress, and better understand the challenges that their children face.

Children are more likely in return to talk to parents about their problems, thus reducing the risk of more problems down the line.

Some tips for successful family meals include:

-Every Sunday pick several nights during the upcoming week when the entire family can eat together. Make your best attempt to stick to the schedule.

-Encourage your children to create menu ideas and participate in meal preparation.

-During dinner, turn off the television and the phone.

-Talk about what happened in everyone’s day: school, work, friends or current events.

-Establish a routine to start and end each meal. Light candles, say grace or tell a story. Play a board game after dinner or serve dessert to encourage the family to continue the conversation.

-Keep conversation positive and make sure everyone gets a chance to speak.

-Start the pattern of family dinner when children are young.

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http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/Members/katie.reim-40okstate.edu/family-mealtime-makes-a-difference

Contact: Katie L. Reim, (405) 744-6792, katie.reim@okstate.edu