Chapter 5

Eating meals together turns out to be one of the best things we can do for our children . Enjoyable conversation mealtime contributes to children feeling good about themselves and their family . With and luck , it will draw them to the table for years to come . 

To quote the author Miriam Weinstein , family dining is " a simple ritual , but is has no benefits ." When families eat five or more meals together a week , twelve- to seventeen years old are less likely to drink , smoke , or use drugs and more likely to have a positive attitude good grades , and a sense pf well-being , according to a report released by the national centrer on addiction and substance abuse at columbia university ( CASA ) . In contrast , the study peer pressure teens whose families eat fewer than three meals a week together as being more likely to fall to eatablished , engage in substance abuse , and have low grades and low self-esteem . CASA identifies national family day monday to encourage families to eat together