National Family Day 2009
Monday, September 28
Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM is a national movement to inform parents that the parental engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance free. Family Day reminds parents that Dinner Makes A Difference!
The Power of Parenting
Whether you’re cooking a gourmet meal, ordering food from your favorite take-out place or eating on the go, rest assured that what your kids really want during dinnertime is YOU! Family meals are the perfect time to talk to your kids and to listen to what’s on their mind. The more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.
Background:
For more than 10 years CASA (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University) has conducted research on the relationship between youth substance abuse and eating family dinners together and what they have consistently found is that youth who eat dinner with their families are less likely to become involved in alcohol and drug use. Research shows us that youth who get to age 21 without using tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs is virtually certain never to do so. And the biggest reason why youth do not get involved in these behaviors are parents. Parents who are engaged in their children’s lives is the most important factor in buffering youth from substance abuse. In 2007 59% of youth reported having dinner with their families at least 5 times per week. Below are some findings from CASA research on this subject:
Family Dinners and Teen Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use
Frequent family dining is associated with lower rates of teen smoking, drinking, illegal drug use and prescription drug abuse. Compared to teens who eat dinner frequently with their families (five or more family dinners per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are:
ü three and a half times likelier to have abused prescription drugs,
ü three and a half times likelier to have used an illegal drug other than marijuana or prescription drugs,
ü three times likelier to have used marijuana,
ü more than two and a half times likelier to have used tobacco, and one and a half times likelier to have used alcohol.
Family Dinners and Current Teen Substance Use
Teens who have frequent family dinners are less likely to currently use marijuana and tobacco, drink alcohol and get drunk. Compared to teens who eat dinner frequently with their families, those who have infrequent family dinners are:
ü more than twice as likely to have used marijuana in the past 30 days,
ü almost twice as likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 30 days,
ü almost twice as likely to have used tobacco in the past 30 days, and
ü more than one and a half times likelier to have gotten drunk in the past 30 days.
Family Dinners, Age and Substance Use
The relationship between frequent family dinners and substance use that we observe among all teens is also observed to varying degrees at every age level. The impact of frequent family dinners seems strongest among the youngest children, and the behavior that appears to be most significantly affected among teens of all ages is marijuana use.
ü Compared to 12- and 13-year olds who have frequent family dinners, 12- and 13-year olds who have infrequent family dinners are six times likelier to have used marijuana, more than four and a half times likelier to have used tobacco and more than two and a half times likelier to have used alcohol.
ü Compared to 14- and 15-year olds who have frequent family dinners, 14- and 15-year olds who have infrequent family dinners are three times likelier to have used marijuana and two and a half times likelier to have used tobacco.
ü Compared to 16- and 17-year olds who have frequent family dinners, 16- and 17-year olds who have infrequent family dinners are more than twice as likely to have used marijuana and almost twice as likely to have used tobacco.
ü At ages 14 through 17, those teens who have infrequent family dinners are likelier to have used alcohol than those teens who have frequent family dinners.
Family Dinners and Teens with Friends Who Use Substances
Teens who have infrequent family dinners are twice as likely to report that half or more of their friends currently drink beer or other alcoholic beverages, compared to teens who have frequent family dinners. Teens who have dinner with their families less than three times a week are three times likelier to say half or more of their friends currently use marijuana, compared to teens who have dinner with their families at least five times a week. For more information on this research go to: http://www.casacolumbia.org/absolutenm/articlefiles/380-importance%20of%20Family%20Dinners%20IV.pdf
At Home: Ways that you can support Family Day:
ü Encourage other families in your neighborhood to participate
ü Celebrate Family Day with your family by having dinner together on September 28! Download your Family Dinner Kit today at: http://casafamilyday.org/familyday/tools-you-can-use/family-dinner-kit/Default.aspx
ü Complete the Family Day STAR pledge
ü Review the Family Day Participant Guidelinesto help make your celebration a success.
Become a Family Day STAR!
I commit to:
S- Spend time with my kids by having dinner together
T- Talk to them about their friends, interests and the dangers of drugs and alcohol
A- Answer their questions and listen to what they say
R- Recognize that I have the power to help keep my kids substance free!
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As a Community:
ü Encourage parents to pledge to be a Family Day STAR . You can use the Family Day STAR pledge form to collect STAR pledges at your events. Go to http://casafamilyday.org/familyday/tools-you-can-use/family-day-2008-materials/pledgeform5.pdfto download your form today.
ü Create a Family Day Contest:
¶ Drawing contests – Who can make the best dinner placemat, festive dinner place cards or creative Family Day posters.
¶ Photo contest – Submit photos of Family Day mealtime or shots of fun indoor or outdoor family activities.
¶ Essay contest themes – “Why family dinners are important to me,” “How I celebrated Family Day” or “My favorite family memory or tradition is...”
¶ Recipe contest – Collect homemade recipes and have a friendly bake-off or taste testing contest. Entries can be used to create your group’s Family Day cookbook.
ü Ask local elected officials to issue a Family Day proclamation and to attend your event. Please download a sample proclamation request letter/sample proclamation at: http://casafamilyday.org/familyday/files/media/file/Sample%20proc%20letter%20with%20sample%20proc.doc
ü Host a Family Day event such as a potluck dinner, barbeque or other family friendly activity on or leading up to Family Day.
ü Ask local restaurants or supermarkets to partner with you to offer Family Day discounts or to offer gift certificates or prizes for your contests. Download the sample restaurant letter.
ü Order Family Day brochures and materialsto distribute at your events and in your neighborhood.
ü Link to www.CASAFamilyDay.orgfrom your site.
Faith-Based Organizations
Below are just some of the ways you can celebrate Family Day with families in your congregation:
ü Encourage parents to pledge to be a Family Day STAR. You can use our Family Day STAR pledge form to collect STAR pledges at your events. Click hereto download your form today.
ü Write about Family Day and the importance of family dinners in your bulletin, newsletter or website. For a sample blurb, click here or view additional options by clicking here. To read a bulletin essay about the benefits of family dinners, click here.
ü Mention Family Day and the importance of family dinners in your sermon. To read a recent sermon about family dinners, click here.
ü Host a Family Day event such as a potluck dinner, barbeque or other family friendly activity on or leading up to Family Day.
ü Create a Family Day Contest:
¶ Drawing contests - Who can make the best dinner placemat, festive dinner place cards or creative Family Day posters.
¶ Photo contest - Submit photos of Family Day mealtime or shots of fun indoor or outdoor family time
¶ Essay contest themes - "Why family dinners are important to me," "How I celebrated Family Day" or "My favorite family memory or tradition is..."
¶ Recipe contest - Collect homemade recipes and have a friendly bake-off or taste testing contest. Entries can be used to create your groups Family Day cookbook.
ü Ask local elected officials to issue a Family Day proclamation and to attend your event. For a sample proclamation request letter and sample proclamation, click here
ü Tell the local press about your event. For a sample press release, click here.
ü Order Family Day brochures and magnetsto distribute at your events and in your neighborhood.
ü Link to www.CASAFamilyDay.orgfrom your site.
For more information and resources including:
¶ Tips on talking to your kids
¶ Signs, Symptoms and Prevention
¶ Family dinner kit with recipes, conversations starters and fun games to play at the dinner table
Go To: http://casafamilyday.org/familyday/
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