What is Family Day?

Dinner Makes a Difference! Celebrate Family Day - Monday, September 28, 2009.
In celebration of Family Day the Florida Department of Health will be conducting mini workshops on healthy dining tips for families at the South Wood Office Complex on Esplanade Way in conjunction with the Sunshine Growers' Market and in collaboration with the Florida A&M University Statewide Small Farms Program. Workshop topics and times are:

11:30 am - Keep Your Family Safe from Food Borne Illnesses - Handle and Prepare Food Safely
12:15 pm - Cooking Together as a Family - Improve Your Child's School Performance by Letting Them Help in the Kitchen
1:00 pm - Eat More Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Daily on a Budget - How to Stretch Your Fruit and Vegetable Budget

Join with the Florida Department of Health and others across the nation in celebrating Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children on Monday, September 28, 2009.

"Family Day - a Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children ™"is a national effort launched by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in 2001 to promote family togetherness at mealtime as a way to prevent substance abuse in children.  On the fourth Monday of September each year all parents are encouraged to recognize the important role a family dinner can play. 

Studies show the more often a child eats with the family, the less likely that child is to someday smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs. According to CASA, teens that have regular family meals are less likely to get into fights, get suspended from school, have sex, or have suicidal thoughts.  Instead, children who have frequent family meals are more likely to do better in school, develop positive eating habits, and adopt healthy behavior. Family meals promote bonding and family interaction. They can help children improve their self-esteem and develop social skills that can last a lifetime. Family mealtime can be used as an opportunity for parents and children to discover and carry out important aspects of a healthy lifestyle.  Examples include:

Healthy Family Dining

Sharing a meal nourishes the body and the soul. Family mealtime provides the setting for moral, spiritual, and intellectual discussion and teaching. Eating flavorful, healthy foods is one of life’s greatest pleasures, especially when shared with the family. The benefits of eating together make family mealtime a tradition worth pursuing.

Hassle-Free Family Dinners:
Family traditions have been created around food and meals, but why wait for a holiday or special event to celebrate a meal together? Eating dinner together on a regular basis doesn’t have to be a hassle; instead it can offer many healthy benefits to your family.

Safe Food Handling
Creating meals together offers the perfect opportunity for spending quality time with your loved ones. You can “slice and dice” while sharing stories and winding down for the day, using this important time to communicate and understand each other better. With minimal fuss or pre-planning, everyone from dad and mom to smaller kids and teens can join in and “serve up” some family-centered fun while preparing and serving meals safely.

Fit Families Dine Together
Children look to those around them as role models, especially their family members. If they grow up in an active family that eats healthy; they are more likely to be active themselves. Daily activity is important for a healthy family, and it doesn’t have to be hard.

Family Day Flyers

An 8.5" by 11" flyer is available for posting that describes Family Day activities. You may also download "mini-flyers." These small flyers more thoroughly describe the items listed above. By copying these flyers front and back and slicing them along the dotted line, you can create mini-pamphlets that can be stacked on counters or placed in areas for all to see and pick up.

Family meals are a time when parents and children can spend a small portion of their day together. This can be a special time, when all the worries of work and school can be set aside, and families can get closer in touch. A time when children and parents can learn to share their thoughts, feelings, goals, values, and expectations.

Please join us on September 28 to recognize Family Day – a Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children ™. Use that day and these ideas to help develop your own ideas and traditions. Family mealtime can be a time to get close as a family, so children and parents can help themselves to a happier and healthier life together.

Promote Family Day!