Family Meals spell S – U – C – C – E – S - S

What does “family meal” mean to you? Is it individually grazing in the kitchen? Dining from the dashboard of a car?

Is there time for meals?

Are family meals important? How frequent does your family have a meal?

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents % Teens Having Family Dinners 7X/Week

What happened to the family meal?  Conflicting schedules  Both parents working  Long work hours  Split shifts  Meetings  Sports practices  Music lessons  ↓ Cooking skills

How we eat today...

How about YOU? Reflect on your own experiences with family mealtime...  Share your best memories of family meals growing up  Would someone like to describe your “family meals” ?

S = Smarter Children ↑ language acquisition (C. Snow, Harvard Grad School of Education) ↑ vocabulary = better readers and students 5 or more family dinners per week likelier to receive either all A’s or mostly A’s and B’s

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents % Teens Who Get A’s/B’s in School by Frequency of Family Dinners

Academic Performance  Teens who have frequent family dinners are likelier to get better grades in school and higher academic performance is associated with lower substance abuse risk.

Jeopardy’s Million Dollar Man – Ken Jennings

Dinner Conversation Topics  Friends and Social Activities  Current Events  Family Issues  Religion  Curfew  Peer pressure  Substance abuse

U = Unlikely to smoke…

5 or more family dinners verses 2 or less are:  Three times likelier to try marijuana  Two and a half times likelier to smoke cigarettes daily  More than 2x times likelier to drink alcohol or get drunk weekly

5 or more dinners verses 2 or less:  3 Times likelier to report that half or more of their friends use marijuana  Twice as likely to know a friend or classmate who uses Ecstasy  80% likelier to know a friend or classmate who abuses prescription drugs  40% likelier to know a friend who uses acid cocaine or heroin

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents Family Dinners and Teen Substance-Abuse Risk

C = Courteous and Conversational  Children who have meals together have an easier time being courteous and making polite conversation.

 Makes family relationships stronger. C = Connected to Family

Family Relationships  Parents are proud of teens  Low levels of tension and stress  Confide in parents

What’s going on at the table? Less than 3x vs. 5-7x weekly  32% likelier to dine with TV on  150% say there is not much talking  2x as likely to say that dinners don’t last long enough.

E = Eating Better ↑ fruits and vegetables ↑ grains ↑ calcium-rich foods ↑ protein ↑ iron ↑ fiber ↑ vitamins ↓ soft drinks Neumark-Sztainer, JADA (103), 2003

Family Meals: Could they help prevent overweight?  Consistent mealtimes → food security  ↑ nutrient-dense foods, ↓ nutrient-poor foods  Parents role model healthy eating at meals  Prevent “disengaged” eating and promote “focused” eating, respond to hunger/satiety  Promote sense of belonging

TV and Family Meals: Kaiser Family Foundation 1999 ( yrs old; yrs old) Is TV usually on during meals in your home? (% yes) Total sample58% 2-7 yrs47% 8-18 yrs65%

Strategies for family meals: Make a priority

Strategies for family meals: Plan ahead

Strategies for family meals: Create positive atmosphere

Family Meals: Impossible Dream or Realistic Goal?

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents Family Dinners,

Other Benefits  Less Fights  Less Suspensions  Less Premarital Sex  Lower risk for Suicide  Healthier Food Balanced Meals

Family Mealtime Make it happen!

Family Meals spell S – U – C – C – E – S - S

This presentation on Family Mealtime was made possible by the Purdue University Center for Families’ Promoting Family Meals Project. For more information go to: