Grabbing the remote as I jumped on the treadmill, I began surfing the stations for something that would take my mind off what I was doing. (I still haven't reached that higher level where I think this is REALLY fun!) I was stopped short when I hit the Tony Danza Show and he was talking about how important it is to eat meals with your kids. I was even more surprised when they panned to his guest who declared, "I always ate dinner with the children." It was none other than Donald Trump!

They talked about the research that shows that kids who eat meals with their parents at least five times a week, do better academically, psychologically, behaviorally and socially. It shows that children who share meals with at least one parent have a much greater chance of staying away from drugs, alcohol, early sexual activity and even thoughts of suicide. It isn't so much the food that is being consumed, but the conversation and sharing that is happening at the table.

Let's join Mr. Trump and "always eat with the children!"

Posted by Barbara at 9/30/2005 08:29:00 AM | Link

 
Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children is Monday, September 26.

Family Day emphasizes the importance of regular family activities and encourages Americans to make family dinners a regular feature of their lives. Parental engagement is the single most potent weapon in preventing substance use and abuse among youth!

Good food, great conversations and loads of laughs—that’s what family dinners are made of. If busy schedules are making it hard for your family to pencil in regular family meals, take a “time out” to consider all the benefits of gathering around the dinner table because family dinners are about more than just sharing a meal.



Sign up to be one of the 10 million to participate in Family Day, and TV Land and Nick @ Nite will make a donation to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief efforts.

Posted by Susan at 9/23/2005 09:08:00 AM | Link

 
Current research tells us that children who eat meals with their families do better academically, pyschologically, socially and behaviorally. We are very excited to hear that Carver County has joined the movement to encourage family meals. Visit their website at:
http://www.cchealthpartnership.org and see what they are doing to encourage vital family connections by promoting Eat. Talk. Connect!

Posted by Barbara at 9/22/2005 01:21:00 PM | Link

 
Join us in celebrating Family Day "A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children". Make a pledge to have dinner with your family on September 26, 2005 !

CASA (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse) created Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children in 2001, as a national effort to promote family dinners as an effective way to reduce substance abuse among children and teens. Family Day is celebrated on the fourth Monday in September, the 26th in 2005.

Your family could be one of five families to win FREE dinner for a year. To enter the contest, subscribe to Betty Crockers' Dinner Made Easy newsletter. The free newsletter, which arrives in your inbox every two weeks, will help you make family meals a routine by showing you how to combine popular brands to make delicious meals in no time at all. Try it. You can always unsubscribe. Good luck in the contest.

Posted by Susan at 9/19/2005 10:27:00 AM | Link

 
ABC World News Tonight reported on September 13, that researchers from Columbia University have found the answer to how to keep teenagers on the right path!

Elizabeth Vargas asks viewers, "Want to have your kids stay off drugs and get better grades? Try having dinner with them!" The segment cites a recent survey published by Columbia University which reveals that teens that eat dinner with their families at least five times a week are 42% less likely to drink alcohol, 59% less likely to smoke, and 66% less likely to smoke pot than teens that eat meals with their families two times or less each week. The ABC World News Tonight broadcast also cited a recent Harvard study that states students that eat regularly with their families are 40% more likely to get A's and B's.

Those of us in Minnesota already know about the University of Minnesota Medical School's Center for Adolescent Health and Development finding of last summer that teenagers fare better both physically and emotionally when they eat regularly with their families.

So break out the salad bag and the frozen lasagna! It empowers us and our children!

Posted by Susan at 9/14/2005 08:03:00 AM | Link