THE RESEARCH IS VERY CLEAR
APRIL THIS, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
IT IS.
RESEARCH TIME AND TIME AGAIN
SHOWS US THAT KIDS WHO ARE
HAVING REGULAR FAMILY MEALS DO
BETTER ON A WHOLE HOST OF
MEASURES.
THEY DO BETTER ACADEMICALLY,
THEY DO BETTER SOCIALLY, AND
PSYCHOLOGICALLY, AND THEY'RE
LESS LIKELY TO HAVE THE BAD
STUFF.
DRUGS, ALCOHOL, PREMARITAL SEX.
JUST BY HAVING DINNER.
YEAH, YOU CAN'T BE HAVING
SEX WHEN YOU'RE HAVING DINNER.
THERE'S A REBOOT FOR YOU.
AND IT'S TRICKY TO ISOLATE
FAMILY DINNERS.
WE KNOW THAT PARENTS WHO ARE
MAKING SURE THAT THEIR FAMILY
ARE HAVING TINNER TOGETHER ARE
PROBABLY ALREADY AND ALSO DOING
A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER POSITIVE
THINGS.
BUT THE RESEARCH IS SHOWING US
THAT IF YOU HAVE THREE OR MORE
FAMILY DINNERS A WEEK, YOU'RE
KIDS ARE LIKELY TO BENEFIT IN
SIGNIFICANT WAYS.
I THINK BACK TO THE FAMILY
DINNERS WE HAD WHEN I WAS A
KID.
OFTEN TIME THE CONFERENCE, HOW
WAS YOUR DAY, FINE?
AND THEN YOU JUST GO AROUND THE
TABLE.
HOW CAN YOU AVOID THAT?
HOW CAN YOU MAKE A QUALITY
DINNER?
WELL, A LOT OF THE STRUCTURE
IS INTENSITY, AND --
INTENTIONALITY, AND STRUCTURED.
DEEP DOWN, THEY LOVE THE
STRUCTURE.
ONE FAMILY I TALKED TO IN A
STUDY A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK
HAD THIS THING CALLED PASS THE
PICKLE.
THEY HAD A CERAMIC PICKLE, AND
YOUR FAMILY CAN PICK ANY SILLY
OBJECT, AND WHEN IT SAT IN
FRONT POSITIVE YOUR PLACE, YOU
SHARED SOMETHING THAT MADE YOU
LAUGH THAT DAY.
SO IT WAS IMMEDIATELY POSITIVE,
AND GENERATED THIS CONVERSATION
THAT WAS POSITIVE.
WE HAVE LEARNED IN OUR
HOUSE, AND I'LL SAY THE
ABSOLUTE BEST THING ABOUT THE
SCHEDULE I HAVE HERE AT WORK,
IS THAT WE HAVE FAMILY DINNER
JUST ABOUT EVERY NIGHT.
BUT YOU DO HAVE TO DO THINKS TO
TRY TO MAKE IT SO YOU DON'T
JUST GET THE GOOD, FUN.
EXACTLY.
YOU AS PARENTS HAVE HUGE
RESPONSIBILITY IN HOW YOU
STRUCTURE, THE FAMILY DINNER,
SO YOU WANT TO BE BE A PART OF
IT.
EVERYBODY SHARES THE BEST AND
WORST OF THEIR DAY.
MY FAMILY STILL DOES THIS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SENTENCE
OUR KIDS WERE LITTLE.
WE DO BEST AND WORST.
WE ALSO HAVE DONE THE WHAT MADE
YOU LAUGH TODAY, AND KIND OF
MIX IT UP.
BUT SOME OTHER FAMILIES, THEY
DO THINKS LIKE QUOTE OF THE
DAY.
SO EACH ONE OF YOU ARE ASSIGNED
ONE NIGHT A WEEK, AND YOU BRING
A QUOTE FOR THE DAY, AND IT
DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU GOOGLE IT
RIGHT BEFORE.
IT GENERATES POSITIVE
CONVERSATION.
MY SON IS TOO YOUNG TO TELL
US HOW HIS DAY WAS, BUT I THINK
THIS JUST HAS POSITIVE IMPACTS
FOR SPOUSES, AS WELL, JUST TO
BE INTENTIONAL IN YOUR
CONVERSATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW
ABOUT THE FAMILY DINNER RICH
CHALLENGE IS THAT IT DOES
GENERATE FEELINGS OF CLOSENESS,
COMFORT, AND WARMTH.
EVEN IF IF IT FEELS KAY QUOTIC.
IF YOU HAVE SCHOOL AGE KIDS, OR
EVEN TODDLERS TOSSING THEIR
FOOD AROUND, OVER TIME, WE KNOW
THAT KIDS FEEL THAT SENSE OF
WARMTH WHEN ARE THE PARENTS ARE
TAKING TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT
DINNER HAPPENS.
LET'S BE REALISTIC, THOUGH,
CAROL, PEOPLE SOUTHERLY BUSY,
KIDS, SPORTS PRACTICES, OR
CHURCH, SCHOOL, OR WHATEVER,
THREE DINNERS A WEEK MIGHT BE
PUSHING IT FOR -- ESPECIALLY IF
YOU HAVE HIGH SCHOOLERS.
I'M GLAD YOU BROADCAST THIS
UP, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE --
BROUGHT THIS UP, BECAUSE IT
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DINNER.
PICK ANY THREE MEALS DURING THE
WEEK.
BREAKFAST ON THE WEEKEND.
BRUNCH, LUNCH.
AND IF YOU HAVE SOCCER
PRACTICE, NEED TO BE AT THE
FIELD, AND IF YOU PACK A
PICNIC, OR GET CARRY OUT FOOD,
AND SANE THAT PICNIC BLANKET
AND HAVE THE FAMILY MEAL, IT
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AT YOUR
TABLE.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE
CONVERSATION.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT THIS SACRED
RITUAL OF SITTING TOGETHER AS A
FAMILY AND SAYING, YOU KNOW,
THIS IS IMPORTANT.
AND PUT THE TECHNOLOGY AWAY.
YEAH.
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.
IT'S HARD.
IT IS SO HARD, AND YOU DON'T
TEACH WANT IT IS ON THE
LANDSCAPE.
NO TURNING YOUR PHONE OVER,
BECAUSE THE RESEARCH ON THAT IS
PRETTY CLEAR.
BUT WHAT A LOT OF FAMILIES DO,
ESPECIALLY WITH TEENAGE EITHER,
THEY START TO SAY, LIKE, OH,
LET'S LOOK THAT UP!
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE
CONVERSATION IS OVER.
REALLY GOOD.
TAKE SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF
THE PARENTS, HAVE THE FAMILY