The Family Meal

Click on the title of this post: Here is a really good article on the benefits of families eating together. To quote a bit:

"having regular meals with their families was a more powerful predictor of success and happiness than time spent in school, studying, church or synagogue, playing sports, or art activities. Read that sentence again"

Wow.

The article also says that less than 1/3 of American families eat together regularly. This astounds me. My family eats together 3 meals a day. Sure, there are times when we are not all there, but good grief, the norm is for us all to be there.

"Oh," you say, "your oldest isn't even ten yet, just wait until they are teens." I doubt it will change even then. Sure, there will probably be times that we are not every one in his own chair, but as a rule, we will eat as a family. I have no intention of becoming an over-busy family running hither and thither. And yes, I am making plans for that now, so it doesn't suprise me later.