In April, I attended the Stouffer’s Bloggers Roundtable. We learned some very important facts about family dinners and their importance.
Research shows that shared family dinners lead to meaningful parent-child interactions. These meals improve language development, reading skills, socialization, identity, self-esteem, and security. It impacts children’s growth more than playing or reading together. Regular communication and bonding during these meals build a strong foundation for emotional and intellectual growth. The benefits go beyond just talking at the table. Family dinners are vital in shaping children’s overall well-being and development.
Shared dinners typically offer the most consistent face-to-face time for families each day. They provide a valuable opportunity for daily interaction that may otherwise be limited. Parents and children engage in only 14.5 minutes of exclusive conversation daily. This makes the time spent together at meals crucial for meaningful communication and bonding. These dinners create a routine space for connection. This allows families to engage in deeper conversations, strengthen relationships, and support each other’s emotional well-being in a way often lacking in different parts of the day.
Teens who regularly participate in family dinners are likelier to feel their parents are proud of them. According to “The Importance of Family Dinners II” (September 2005), teens who have five or more family dinners per week are significantly more likely to report that their parents are “very” or “fairly” proud of them compared to those who have fewer than three dinners together. These shared meals provide a meaningful opportunity for connection, fostering a sense of support and affirmation. Consistent family time strengthens relationships and reinforces the emotional bond between parents and their children.
In addition, teens who regularly have family dinners are more likely to turn to their parents when facing severe problems. According to “The Importance of Family Dinners II” (September 2005), those who share frequent meals with their family are more inclined to identify one or both parents as the adults they seek help from under challenging situations. These dinners create an environment of trust and open communication, strengthening the parent-child bond. By fostering a sense of security and support, family meals encourage teens to feel comfortable contacting their parents when they need guidance or advice.
Teens who frequently have family dinners are more likely to report receiving primarily As and Bs in school. According to “The Importance of Family Dinners II” (September 2005), teens who share dinner with their families seven times a week are nearly 40 percent more likely to achieve higher grades than those who have family dinners two or fewer times per week. These regular mealtime interactions provide a supportive environment contributing to academic success by fostering communication, responsibility, and a stable home life. The routine of family dinners plays a significant role in promoting better school performance.
Teens who frequently have dinners with their families are less likely to engage in smoking, drinking, or drug use. According to the “National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIII: Teens and Parents” (September 2008), teens who share five or more family dinners per week are one-third less likely to have used alcohol and are half as likely to have used marijuana. Regular family meals provide a structured environment that helps reduce risky behaviors by fostering open communication, support, and accountability. These dinners play a crucial role in guiding teens away from substance abuse and encouraging healthier choices.
These are just a few of the insights I gained. The statistics speak for themselves. Growing up, family dinners were a constant, and the idea of not having them feels strange to me. However, I realize not everyone is that fortunate. In our home, we have family dinners every night, but we could improve how we engage with the kids during meals. It can be challenging, especially with Madison being only five and often answering with just “yes” or “no.” What I took away most is that starting conversations early helps ensure that when they’re 16, they’ll feel comfortable coming to us with anything.
we eat dinner together- or an early dinner or a late dinner everynight- it is important to me that we all get together and make sure everyone is doing ok, talk about life and problems, etc- if by some odd chance someone misses dinner due to work – then I will still sit with them and anyone up is sitting with them to- its not healthy to eat alone and it shows we care and are truly interested in eachothers day
We do have family dinners but not as often as I would like. I think this would help us! We all like to play games but get tired of the same old ones we have.
We do eat dinner together. We talk about our day. This would give us other options for coversation.
since my son was a child we have always used dinner time as family time. Now 16 years later I have a daughter and plan to do the same
we have family dinners afew days a week, but i think this game would be a good addition to making more family dinners together!
We don't have family dinners. We don't have a usable dining room table. I hate it. I think the box would help my husband open up more.
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We eat dinner together almost every night. This game would help us connect because it would give us some things to discuss.
we rarely eat dinner together so this would be a great way to snag everyone!
This prize would get the kids to the table to see what's happening next. We often eat watching tv now.
lucky you i am sure you have enjoyed that food… ….well family dinners are a important part of the family..in the earlier times people used to have daily family dinners… but as the time passed the trend changed and the people started to eat much out of home…. or because of work at the offices… this gradually changed the eating habit of the people… i think this conference is just a gesture it restore that integrity and its a step to restore the healthy eating habits of the people..
We've gotten a little more lax during the summer, but we usually try to have dinner together at the table at least 5 nights a week. It's hard with the kids schedules. We try to talk at the table and we always go around and say what we're thankful for, and sometimes we say the best thing and worst thing that happened that day. These cards would help us build on the things we already do and make dinnertime a more fun and communicative event!
We try to have dinner together as a family eavery night. This would help us when we are having a hard time conversing by giving us some great topics.
i would love to be a winnrt, thank you
I thought this statistic was surprising: "The average time spent in daily, exclusive, parent/child conversation is 14.5 minutes."
We sit around the table like a normal family, but there are five kids so it is pretty loud. I am thinking this would help keep the conversation on a topic by channeling the discuss to one thing and spotlighting a kid while they answer.
hey!!! long time no see 🙂 anyway- we have a 'high low' tradition at dinner nightly- would love to add this!
This would be great for my family. Make me a winner!
We eat dinner together each night. I think this game would help because sometimes we run out of conversation, and eat in silence. It might help give us something to talk about! 🙂 macd82 at gmail dot com
Teens who have frequent family dinners are likelier to say their parents are the adults they would go to if they had a serious problem. Teens who have frequent family dinners are likelier to identify one or both parents as the adult they would turn to with a serious problem.” — The Importance of Family Dinners II, September 2005.
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We do have meals at home sometimes, but this would help use to have meals at home more.
We don't sit at a table for dinners. We just eat in front of the tv. I would like to start sitting down together with these questions. I think we would get closer.
I think this game will help the older kids open up a little more and give details about their life.
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What a great idea. Most of us are challenged to go beyond, How was your day, could do this whether we are eating lunch or dinner.
My roommates and I keep pretty hectic schedules, but this would help us take some time to get to know each other better
We attempt to eat together several times a week, but definitely do so on wknds, interesting how asking questions always makes all of us think and develop a new appreciation for others.
We have a few dinners a week together. But we make sure we talk and catch up every day. Thank you
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It is just the two of us, but I still consider supper to be "family dinner" 🙂
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I actually think this will be helpful as I gear up to start a family. In the meantime it's a great way to spend time with my sig. other.
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We sometimes have family dinners dependent upon my work schedule for that week! I think this game would help to keep us focused on positive and productive conversations!
I tweeted about your contest! @calmond
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My family has dinner together every night. Like you it would seem weird not to have dinner together. It is the time of the day when we are all together and can talk face to face and share whatever is on our minds. None of the facts surprised me. I've heard all of these before. We like playing games and this sounds like a lot fo fun.
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we dont do dinner 🙁 my hubby did not grow up having dinner at a family table, so he is not used to it. i think the questions would help him and our boys be more comfortable eating dinner together.
We do have family dinners at my house and talk about almost everything.
I'm not surprised by any of the statistics. My family has dinner together 5 times a week. We really connect and I find that our teenager (16, girl) opens up more when the atmosphere is more relaxed. Rather than the "So, how was your day?" It seems that after a bit of chatting she tends to open up a little more about her feelings, what's going on at school, and her friends.
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Our daughter is only three, so we do have family dinners. Unfortunately, we are STILL waiting for our new dining room table to arrive, so we have to eat standing up! But, we do it as a family!
The statistic surprised me the most was "Teens who have frequent family dinners are likelier to say their parents are the adults they would go to if they had a serious problem. Teens who have frequent family dinners are likelier to identify one or both parents as the adult they would turn to with a serious problem."
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Our family dinners have become an occasional event.
We have family dinners every so often, but not enough times.
We don't have family dinners very often. This game would help our family to communicate and relate to each other. We would grow as a family by learning more about each other.
We do eat dinner together several times a week, but it's hard with so many activities. After reading your statistics I am going to strive for more often though!
We eat family dinners together almost every night. I feel its important..even though my daughter is only 4.. to instill this into her. It brings us all together to talk about our days and learn good table manners. I grew up in a household like this and it's important to me to pass it on. My husband grew up watching tv and eating which he still trys to get away with every now and then!
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i tweeted this contest ~ kylienkate
i forgot to add that this would make my husband more interested in eating at the table when the tv tries to steal his attention!
RT @blm03 is giving away The Family Dinner Box Of Questions http://mythoughtsideasandramblings.com/2009/07/19…
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We have family dinners about 6 nights a week
Most of the statistics didn't surprise me at all because I think Family dinners are very important. One that did surprise me was: The average time spent in daily, exclusive, parent/child conversation is 14.5 minutes. People just don't talk anymore.
I tweeted. http://twitter.com/artmarcia/status/3087940217
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we try to eat together at least 5 nights per week and we love to play any kind of games together 🙂
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We have family dinners. It would help open new conversations.
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We eat dinner together almost every night. This would be a lot of fun to play together 🙂
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/donnak4/status/3088264638
We went through a long period of time without the family eating altogether. Now the activities are over and this game would be a perfect compliment to fill in the void. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
yummmyyy.iam always hungry. thanks,gl all
We have family dinners. ty 4 the entry:)
we have family dinner almost nightly. this will be very helpful in sparking conversations. we do try to talk but sometimes run out of things to talk about.
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thanks for sharing .