Family meals also help children to live a more balanced, healthy life. The U.S. National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that youngsters who eat with their family about five times a week have fewer problems related to anxiety, boredom, or lack of interest, and they get better grades at school.

Apparently, when families eat together, it can even help them to avoid bad eating habits. The University of Navarre in Spain reports that eating alone increases the risk of suffering from eating disorders. True, those disorders could still develop, but the absence of regular shared meals makes this more likely. “When eating together becomes a routine, children feel cared for. Family meals give them the emotional security of a warm, loving family environment,” explains Esmeralda, a mother of two daughters.