Once each year, we take time to celebrate the people that make our lives meaningful: our families. Family life isn’t always what you’d find in a Hallmark movie, but at the bottom, the love and support we find there offer a sense of belonging and stability in our lives. Sociologists point out that families are critical for healthy development.

“He who wished to secure the good of others has already secured his own.”

Two of this month’s Family Table Talk topics are heritage and reading, and we think they complement Thanksgiving perfectly.

One positive outcome of the pandemic has been that families have been forced by circumstances to spend more time together. No more rushing out the door to play practice in one direction and violin lessons in the other. No more late nights at the office, grabbing a quick fast-food dinner on the way home.

Congratulations to the winners of the Family Day Photo Contest: Lesley Adkins Stanton from Winter Springs, FL; Lauren Schere Shpigler from Orlando, FL; and Jeanette Teixeira from Miami, FL. The winners, who were randomly selected, each win a $100 Publix gift card.

Laurel Oak Elementary in Naples, FL won the grand prize for schools by having the most entries in the State of Florida. They will receive a $250 Publix gift card.

The contest was sponsored by Publix, Simply Healthcare and Seminole Prevention Coalition.

Families come in all forms, sizes and colors. Their diversity is what makes them so beautiful. We love seeing your lovely #FLFamilyDay dinner photos on social media each year. Thank you to all of the families that have participated in Family Day and our Family Day Photo Contest in the past. We have shared some of their heart-warming photos in this post.

Participating in our Family Day photo contest is a simple way that you can help spread awareness about Family Day and the importance of eating dinner together as a family. Research shows that children who eat dinner with their families 4 or more times a week do better in school and are less likely to use drugs or participate in other destructive behaviors. We all want what’s best for our children. Wouldn’t your family and friends with children want to know that something as simple as regular family dinners can improve parent-child communication?

Congratulations to the winners of the Family Day Photo Contest: Heidi Hernandez from Naples, FL; Timmy Kutz from Naples, FL; and Tatiana Vuono from Miami, FL. The winners, who were randomly selected, each win a $100 gift card generously donated by Publix.

Freedom Middle School in Orlando, FL won the grand prize for schools by having the most entries in the State of Florida. They will receive a $250 Publix gift card.

Informed Families Ambassadors at schools across the state encourage parents and families to eat dinner together on Family Day and up to four times a week.  Many of the schools in our network have also started Family Day traditions of their own.

In Orange County, Apopka Memorial Middle School celebrates Family Day with a Spaghetti Dinner served by their Informed Families Youth Ambassadors.  Citrus Grove Middle School in Miami-Dade hosts a Spaghetti Dinner that all parents are invited to as well. They encourage parents to sign the Informed Families Family Day pledge at the event.

We loved seeing so many of your beautiful #FLFamilyDay dinner photos on social media last year. So we’ve decided to hold another Family Day photo contest.

Take a photo of your family eating dinner together and then post it on the Informed Families’ Facebook page, send it to us in a Facebook message, or post it on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #FLFamilyDay. It’s that simple.

Three winners will be randomly selected to receive a $100 Publix Gift Card. The Florida school with the most entries will receive a $250 Publix Gift Card. The contest ends September 30^th.

We can’t wait to see the family dinner photos you share this year! Take a look at some of our favorites from last year.

An Easy Way to Improve Parent-Child Communication  

Do you want to stop school violence and a host of other dangerous behaviors? Eat dinner with your children.

Did you know if you eat dinner together as a family four times a week that your kids are 50% less likely to use drugs and engage in other risky behaviors?

Many people think they don’t have time to eat dinner with their children – well just imagine how much time you will spend sorting out your child’s problem behaviors?  And guess what, some behaviors become chronic and don’t get sorted out so you will be living with them for a life time.

Eating dinner together provides an opportunity for family members to come together, strengthen ties and build better relationships.  Communicating early and often makes it much easier to tackle conversations around tough topics, like substance use, when the time comes. If your kids aren’t used to talking to you about their day when they are 8 or 10 years old, it's much harder to start at age 12-14.

Our Family Day campaign promotes frequent family dinners as a way to prevent risky behavior in kids. On September 23rd, join millions of families across the U.S. to Stand Up for Sitting down to dinner. Enjoy a meal together with your family and talk to each other, electronics-free.

Peggy