According to research from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), kids whose family eats fewer than three dinners a week together are

• twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana and
• more than one and a half times more likely to use alcohol.

Reference:  http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000011085.cfm

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Parents,

There is no excuse for not insisting the family meet & eat together for a minimum of 5 meals a week.   Hard – sure it is – close to impossible when the kids turn 16.  This is why it is all the more important to have these family meals BEFORE the kids turn 16 & it becomes too late!

Just DO WHAT IT TAKES to make this happen.    The physical, emotional & spiritual welfare of  your child may depend on it.

[note: research has identifies a number of other positive benefits when the family eats together.  More on that in Part II).

dr b

It can be even more challenging to be a good “Christian parent”.

Parents perform the act of parenting.

Webster defines this as:

Definition s #1 & 3 are helpful.   But, what is meant by the acts of “raising” & “taking care of”?