peas at a party

School is now in full swing and the fall crazies are well under way.  So what better time to proclaim Family Day, a day for having dinner together as a family?  The new report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, CASA, is even more startling than in previous years about the effectiveness of family dinners in the prevention of substance abuse.  For example, 

“Marijuana use for those who don’t have frequent family dinners (five or more a week) is six times more likely for teens 12 to 13, three times more likely for teens 14 to 15 and twice as likely for teens 16 to 17.”

If that isn’t enough, this month the Journal of the American Dietetic Association issued new findings on the effect of family dinners on lifelong healthier eating habits.

Still wonder if it’s worth the juggling and rushing?  This one might surprise you.

MSNBC reports that young people, ages 13-24, were asked, “What makes you happy?”  And the answer wasn’t sex, drugs, or rock-n-roll.  Not even money topped the list.  The top answer?  Spending time with family.  Not that they would ever tell you that!

What were the family dinner traditions as you were growing up?  Did you have a stay-at-home mom who would have dinner on the table?  How do you manage the family dinner hour now that it’s back to school?