| Last week my husband and my son celebrated their respective birthdays. My husband probably didn't want to be reminded of getting older, but he gets to remind me that I am a year and half older than him!!! When it comes to my son, however, we are happy to watch him mature and I know he enjoys the freedom of being older.
Birthdays also give us a chance to celebrate being a family just by having dinner together. When my children were younger, I kept up a tradition that my mom started. On our birthday (I have 5 sisters), we were allowed to pick our favorite meal for my mom to prepare. I did the same for my boys. Now that my children are older, many times they choose to eat out at a restaurant. (Not sure what that says about my cooking?!) The best part of the tradition --- at home or at a restaurant --- is that we have quality time to spend with each other and sometimes this includes our sons' friends. I just read an article that made me realize this tradition of having dinner together is more than a celebration --- it is a proven prevention method.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) has a website that states their 10-year research shows consistently that "the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs." In 2001, as a result of this research, CASA started "Family Day - A day to eat dinner with your children." It is a national effort that is simply promoting parents to engage their children, which has proven effective in reducing substance abuse by teens.
A 2004 teen survey conducted by CASA indicated that teens whose families almost never ate dinner as a family were 72% more likely than the average teen to use illegal drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. Teens whose families almost always ate dinner together were 31% less likely than the average teen to engage in substance abuse. CASA's research states that, "Frequent family dining is also correlated with doing well in school and developing healthy eating habits. This pattern holds true regardless of a teen's sex, family structure and family socioeconomic level."
Family Day takes place on the fourth Monday of each September. In 2005, "Family Day" is being celebrated in Delaware and across the country. In fact, Delaware 's Governor Ruth Ann Minner and Lieutenant Governor John C. Carney, Jr., have signed a proclamation declaring September 26, 2005, "Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children." The University Schools Alliance (USA), Partners in Prevention, University of Delaware Center for Drug & Alcohol Studies, has created partnerships with 50 restaurants throughout Delaware to participate in "Family Day" by offering discounts varying from 10% - 50%. At least ten of the restaurants are in Newark and include some of my local favorites. To view the list of participating restaurants, print a "Family Day" coupon, and see a list of other free USA events, visit their website at www.udel.edu/usa.
The Family Day website at http://www.casafamilyday.org/ lists the "Ten Steps Parents Can Take to Prevent Teen Substance Abuse", and "The Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse." I'd like to share with you their "Ten Benefits of Frequent Family Dinners." Teens that have frequent family dinners: are at half the risk for substance abuse compared to teens who eat with their families less frequently; are less likely to have friends who use illicit drugs; have lower levels of tension and stress in the home; are more likely to say that their parents are proud of them; have better grades; are stable emotionally and have positive relationships; have healthier eating habits; are at lower risk of suicide; and are less likely to try marijuana or have friends who use marijuana.
Join us in celebrating families and in preventing substance abuse --- have dinner together on September 26 th --- at home or at one of the great restaurants Newark has to offer.
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