Hopkins School District #270

Families Connecting:  Eat*Talk*Connect over family meals

September 26, 2011

PARENTS: Engaging in frequent conversations with your children is a proven defense in preventing substance abuse among youth. And when it comes to finding the perfect setting for these important talks, there is no need to go any further than the kitchen table. 

Teen surveys conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) consistently show that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to drink, smoke or use other drugs. This year’s CASA Teen Survey specifically revealed that 12 to 17-year-olds who averaged fewer than three family dinners per week were four times more likely to use tobacco, more than two and a half times more likely to smoke marijuana, and twice as likely to drink alcohol. 

The good news is, the positive impact of family meals has nothing to do with what food is served and everything to do with parents engaging in their child’s daily life, to nurture family bonding and feelings of belonging, and to nourish both the body and the soul. This ritual of gathering at the dinner table is shown to strengthen family ties and create a feeling of “warmth” between child and parent, which in turn, increases a youth’s likelihood of making healthy, substance-free lifestyle choices. 

Monday, September 26, 2011 has been declared our nation’s official Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with your Children™.  One Voice for reducing youth chemical use in Hopkins Schools encourages you to use this day as an opportunity to either begin sharing frequent meals and conversations as a family or to celebrate the fact that you already do! 

Click here for activities and more information on Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with your Children™.   

While it is vitally important to talk often about the dangers of substance use, it does not need to be the topic of every dinner conversation to make a difference. Sometimes it just needs to be lighthearted and fun, where you are simply getting to know your child better. 

Click here to go to ParentsEmpowered.org for some fun conversation starters the whole family can enjoy.  

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Sources: The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. ParentsEmpowered.org