Virtually any parent would agree that kids these days spend way too much time in front of their screens. Families are spending less time together than ever right now, which is why it’s crucial that the tradition of Sunday family dinners make a comeback.

Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, a registered psychologist who is also a parenting expert, explained exactly why Sunday family dinners are so important to the development of a child.

“The family that eats together thrives together,” Lapointe said. “Mealtime has historically been a time of family togetherness. Plus, if you’re getting multiple generations together, then there is a tapestry of diversity in terms of ages and interests and that is just so good for kids.”

Family therapist Anne Fishel, Ph.D. co-founded The Family Dinner Project in the hopes of helping modern families revive the practice of eating together. The nonprofit group “champions family dinner as an opportunity for family members to connect with each other through food, fun, and conversation about things that matter.”

The Family Dinner Project’s website states that “over the past 25 years, research has shown what parents have known for a long time: Sharing a fun family meal is good for the spirit, brain, and health of all family members. Recent studies link regular family meals with the kinds of behaviors that parents want for their children: higher grade-point averages, resilience, and self-esteem.”

The project goes on to say that “family meals are linked to lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders and depression. We also believe in the power of family dinners to nourish ethical thinking.”

Fishel herself added, “The benefits range from the cognitive ones (young kids having bigger vocabularies and older kids doing better in school) to the physical ones (better cardiovascular health, lower obesity rates and eating more vegetables and fruits) to psychological ones (lower rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse and fewer behavioral problems in school).”

It’s not about the food that is served at these dinners. Instead, it’s the communal environment that makes these family dinners so special.

“These benefits don’t derive from a perfect roast chicken or organic tomatoes but instead from the atmosphere at the table — if there is conflict, stony silence or an intoxicated parent, these benefits do not occur,” Fishel said. “It’s critical that the atmosphere at the table be warm and inviting, that kids feel that it is safe to talk and know that someone is listening.”

The Family Dinner Project encourages families to have dinners together through community outreach and education.

“Our team members have come from varied personal and professional backgrounds, including education, family therapy, research, food, social work, marketing, and communication. With nonprofit partners and local champions, The Family Dinner Project team works online and at community events to help families increase the frequency, meaning and long-term benefits of their shared meals,” their website says. “Now, through this movement, families will come together to share their experiences and insights to help each other realize the benefits of family dinners. Together, they’ll figure out the resources needed – like tips for setting dinnertime goals, overcoming obstacles such as conflicting schedules and engaging everyone in meaningful conversation – to improve the frequency and quality of their mealtime interaction.”

Find out more about this in the video below.