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.

Families, it’s been said, come in all forms, from the traditional nuclear unit to tight-knit family groups. They grow up together, do fun things together, and comfort each other in times of crisis.

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One of the best ways to bond with family members is through regular dinners.

According to research from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (NCASA) at Columbia University, in fact, the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs.

So today, September 26, Informed Families encourages you to gather your family at the dinner table and use this meal to help spark togetherness and communication.

We’ve prepared a series of resources for you to help make the most of Family Day including:

• a Family Day Activities Guide
• Family Fun Stories
• a Family Day dinner menu
• Family Day recipes
• an Activity Mat for young children
• an Activity Mat for teens
• a Be Your Own Hero & Family shield
• a Family Interview guide
• Family Favorites
• a CASA Family Toolkit

So join us on today as we encourage families to how a simple meal together can build stronger family bonds and lifelong relationships.

Remember Family Table Time

And if you aren’t using our Family Table Time activity kit, you really should try 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 drugs.

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