The more often children and teens eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs! This amazing finding by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has been corroborated by many other studies. In fact, children and teens who have frequent family meals:

• are at half the risk for substance abuse compared to teens who dine with their families infrequently.
• are less likely to have friends or classmates who use illicit drugs or abuse prescription drugs.
• have lower levels of tension and stress at home.
• are likelier to say they can confide in their parents.
• are likelier to get better grades in school.
• are more likely to be emotionally content and have positive peer relationships.
• have healthier eating habits
• are at lower risk for thoughts of suicide
• are less likely to try marijuana or have friends who use marijuana.

Insisting that family dinnertime was a must is something Nikki Stauffer learned from an early age and then continued with her own family. "By gathering children around the dinner table every night," Stauffer explains, "our parents taught us that there is so much more to share than just a meal. It's the place to strengthen bonds, build personal character and encourage each other. Not only did we each have our own 'seat' (that no one else dare take), we had a 'spot' in the family that no one could replace."

When friends and other parents she met seemed to think this was a novel idea, Stauffer founded www.GatherRoundTheTable.com as a way to encourage other parents to have a family dinner every night (or as often as possible). She had seen firsthand the value and importance of family dinners before learning the statistics noted above. These studies just encouraged her to do her part through her web site.

The site, which began as a grassroots movement, has steadily gained momentum. Today, the site offers podcast interviews with celebrities, authors and parenting experts, articles and recipes submitted by many of the guests on the weekly podcast show.

While there are many parenting sites that offer a wonderful array of information, GRTT focuses primarily on the family table and its importance in the growth and development of our children.

In addition to gathering families around the table, GRTT also wants to encourage gathering friends around the table as well. Deep and binding friendships are as important to everyone's wellbeing as family members. So welcoming friends of the children, friends of the parents, even neighbors or others you might want to get to know better, is also advocated. Whether it is to enjoy a home-cooked meal or a delivered pizza, this brief time together offers everyone a safe haven from the world around us, encouraging deeper bonds and relationships that help sustain us through difficult times, and let us rejoice in accomplishments both large and small.

Here's wishing everyone more good times gathered 'round the table.

Gather 'Round with..., the weekly podcast show on GatherRoundTheTable.com, features interviews with celebrities, authors and parenting experts. Some recent guests include: