Have you ever been asked to describe the highlight of your day? The time you spend eating dinner with your family should count. Eating dinner with your family helps create and strengthen bonds; family members are less likely to engage in risky behavior; and family dinners relieve stress. First, eating family dinners promotes bonding. You must be able to maintain contact with not only your own life but also the lives of your family members. It can give younger children a sense of love and security to know they are part of a loving family. Recent studies from Columbia University show that teens who eat family dinners more often know more about their family than those who don’t have family dinners. Eating together as a family can also help families be less prone to risky behavior and less likely to think about suicide, take drugs, or suffer from depression. Being more at ease with your family allows you to be more open and willing to discuss difficult issues in your life. A study shows that teens who eat more with their family are almost four times less likely to try tobacco or use alcohol than those who don’t eat with their family. Last, family dinners relieve stress. If you have a demanding job, finding time to eat with your family will leave you feeling less stressed. In 2008, researchers at Brigham Young University conducted a study of employee workers and found that sitting down to a family meal helped working parents reduce the tension and strain from long hours at the office. In a recent Columbia University study, 71% of teenagers said they consider talking, catching up, and spending time with their family as the best parts of their family dinners. Be a part of the 71 percent and find time to eat with your family. It will improve bonds within your family; your family will be less inclined toward risky behavior; and they will relieve stress. Even if you think you don’t have time, make time. Have family dinners.