Returning User? Login Here | Bookmark this site | Contests | Sitemap


Web GreatDad.com

Favorites

Tell a Friend

Subscribe via RSS

Enter your email

RSS Feed

XML Sitemap

greatdad/sitemap

Age Groups > Teens > Connecting

Family Dinners Have Nutritional and Social Benefits

Be the first to rate this article:

By GreatDad Writers

Print

The positive effect that family dinners have on children, especially teenagers, has been highlighted by a study carried out by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA).

The study surveyed 1,000 teenagers and found that more than half of them believed that the best time to talk about something important with their parents was at family dinners. An overwhelming 80% of them preferred having family dinners rather than eating alone. The CASA report also says, “12-13-year-olds who have infrequent family dinners having higher chances of using marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol.”

These results suggest that family dinners are a great time for parents and children to bond and improve their relationships. In addition, the study found that children who have less than three family dinners in a week are likelier to do twice as badly in school, meaning family dinners also provide educational benefits.

The obvious health benefit of family dinners was reinforced by Dr. Clare Collins, Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle. “Kids who eat in front of the television eat greater proportions of junk food,” says Dr. Collins. Many psychologists and dieticians support this parenting advice on account of the string of benefits that it brings. In fact, children who eat dinner with the family are more likely to eat serving of fruits and vegetables as compared to those who eat alone.

The biggest obstacle to family dinners though is getting the family together almost everyday and is a challenge to parenting skills. Even the first lady, Michelle Obama, in a People magazine interview said that the president and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha try to have dinner together almost every night.

Subscribe to the pregnancy newsletter or 4-8 year olds newsletter.

Email this | Print

Login with Facebook

Post a Comment


First Name:
City:
Email Address:
Comments:	Total Words: (400 words*)
	Enter the characters you see in the image. They are case sensitive.

Shopping

Article List

	8 signs it's time to have a talk with your teen
	5 ways to parent a successful college kid
	How to reconnect with your college student during the holidays
	Family Dinners Have Nutritional and Social Benefits
	10 Tips for Parents During Prom/Graduation Season
	Burst
	Tonight's Dinner Includes Pizza and a Sex Talk
	Teen Quotes
	Tips for dads with over-scheduled kids
	Teenagers and dads - don't believe the myth that kids don't want to talk to parents.

All section articles

1

Forum Topics

Marshall, MI (Weekend Journeys)Tiny Marshall, Michigan, has Posts: 0 Views: 1 Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! However, how Posts: 0 Views: 1 The Epic 4G is quite diverse from final year's failed Samsun Posts: 0 Views: 2 Acquaint of Effectively Posts: 0 Views: 14 Fine with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to Posts: 0 Views: 3

More Forum

Local Guides

All Guides
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
DC
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming