Family mealtime is a great opportunity to connect with loved ones and friends.  The opportunity becomes more powerful when people turn off their televisions and make conversation their priority.

Besides building stronger relationships through conversation, eating dinner as a family has numerous health benefits.  Children who share mealtime with their families are more likely to succeed in school, and less likely to be involved with alcohol, tobacco or drugs.

Families who eat together tend to have more nutritious meals – they consume more fruits and vegetables, and less soda.  Children in these families can look to their parents as positive role models for healthy eating habits.

If you like the idea of sharing mealtime with family and friends, and are looking for some interesting conversation starters, try these:

• If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
• What is your favorite thing you learned today?
• What book are you reading right now?  What do you like about it?  What do you dislike about it?
• If you could donate $1,000 to any charity, which charity would you select?
• If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
• What is one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime?

Reference: The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA)