Many years of solid research have shown that when parents engage more deeply in their children’s lives, they are far less likely to turn to such unhealthy behaviors as smoking, drinking, or using drugs.

That same research has shown that the dinner table is one of the best places to accomplish this.

This is why the National Center on Addiction has designated Monday, September 27, 2021, as Family Day, a day to encourage families to eat together to help families talk and bond, thus promoting a healthy and open relationship between parents and children.

Join the fun

In honor of this important event, Informed Families has planned numerous activities to bring awareness to the importance of eating together as a family.

For instance, enter our photo contest by September 30, 2021, to become eligible to win valuable prizes. Three random winners will be selected to win a $100 Publix gift card, while the Florida school with the most entries will receive $250.

Or download our Family Day Activities Guide, Family Dinner Menu, Family Fun Stories, and other resources to help engage your family.

Remember Family Table Time

And if you haven’t yet tried our Family Table Time activity kit, you really should check it out.

We created it as an innovative and fun way for parents to reinforce family values, providing the solid foundation young people need to help them make better choices when it comes to alcohol and drug use.

Here’s what you get in each kit:

• an agenda for family meetings, which provides a detailed plan for conducting family meetings
• character-based conversation starters to help explore each week’s topic in-depth
• quick, easy, and healthy family recipes
• suggestions for fun physical activities families can do together

Conversation starters include such varied topics as community service, gratitude, cyber safety, bullies and violence, money management, listening skills, goal setting, and more.

And when you sign up for a six-month subscription, we’ll also give a free six-month subscription to an essential worker’s family.

Get on board!

One survey found that teens who had frequent family dinners, that is, from five to seven times per week, were more likely to report having better relationships with their parents. In turn, these same teens were four times less likely to have used marijuana and half as likely to have used alcohol.

So join us on Monday as we encourage families to utilize this valuable tool to build stronger family bonds and lifelong relationships.