The busy fall season is officially underway, marking the return to school, activities, and healthy habits, including eating dinner together as a family. In kicking off Family Health Month, the New Canaan YMCA’s successful annual Family Dinner Night returns on Friday, October 3, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The event is free and available to families of all ages in the community.
Dinner will be served beginning at 6:00 PM, followed by activities including family fun games and challenges, gaga, dancing, and a Bouncing Bears glow party in the Y’s Kid Zone space (available for ages eight and under), plus a healthy family dessert-making station.
As part of its commitment to youth development and healthy living, the Y’s event, which began in 2013, is inspired by “Family Day,” a national movement that encourages parents to recognize the connection and engagement fostered during frequent family dinners as an effective tool to keep America’s kids substance-free.
According to the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, families that eat together generally eat more nutritiously, have teens who are less likely to be involved in risky behavior, have children with better language skills and academic scores, have a lower obesity rate, teach children to enjoy a variety of foods, and generally have better relationships with each other and their community. Eating with others also decreases loneliness, improves mental health, and can contribute to greater family connection, according to the Family Dinner Project.
Additionally, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University researched the difference between teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week) compared to those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) and found that kids who have frequent family dinners are:
• At 70% lower risk for substance abuse.
• Half as likely to try cigarettes.
• Half as likely to try marijuana.
• One third less likely to try alcohol.
• Likelier to get better grades in school.
• Less likely to have friends who drink alcohol and use marijuana.
• More likely to have parents who take responsibility for teen drug use.
The event is free; however, advance registration is required. Those interested in attending Family Dinner Night must sign up at the New Canaan YMCA’s Member Services Desk (203-966-4528) or online at www.newcanaanymca.org through Tuesday, September 30. For additional information and any questions, please contact Ian Puebla, School-Age & Camp Y-Ki Director, at 203-920-1635 or ipuebla@newcanaanymca.org.
About the New Canaan YMCA
Founded in 1954 by a group of community volunteers, the New Canaan YMCA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to enrich all people in spirit, mind, and body. As an inclusive community service organization, the YMCA turns away no one for reasons of race, religion, or economic background and each year awards approximately $250,000 in direct financial assistance. Serving the communities of New Canaan, Pound Ridge, and South Salem, the YMCA also strives to partner with a variety of outside organizations to further its role as a community service provider.
