“Fun Family Traditions” Celebrates National Family Meal Day

“Fun Family Traditions” celebrates National Family Meal Day, September 25, 2006. From year to year, family meals still lead as a source of good health and emotional stability for children. Experts maintain that the simple tradition of daily family meals is the most effective way to protect children against substance abuse.

Rockford, IL (PRWEB) September 20, 2006 -– National Family Meal Day is September 25, 2006, established by the Center for Alcohol and Substance Abuse (CASA). CASA research confirms that children who eat daily family dinners 1) abuse drugs less 2)have more nutritious meals 3) perform better in school.

Experts like the CASA organization and Rabbi Mordechai Mishory are pointing out what many parents know from experience: the “dinner talk” lifestyle, or daily family dinners, trump the occasional sit-down meal for best results in family health and success.

Studies show that parents still far outrank television, society, even schools, when it comes to passing on moral values to the upcoming generation. “Dinner Talk”, or epic storytelling, tends to perpetuate traditional family values. http://www.epicworld.net, a family resource website created in 2002, has promoted daily family meals for family harmony, and “Dinner Talk” as a highly effective parenting style.

Those wondering what to do at the dinner table when the television is turned off will find articles, activities, and news items for dinner talk discussion posted weekly in the “dinner talk box” on the Epicworld home page. The parable of the month for September is “Dinner Talk, the Universal Parable”. Also included here each month is a family value presented by parenting experts Richard and Linda Eyre, with resources on how to teach that value to children. All topics, including a glossary, can now be accessed from the “archives” button on the home page.

Epicworld also features free online parenting classes, entitled the Epic Heroes Parent Training series, comprised of four parts.

I. “Fun Family Traditions” shows the importance of nutritious meals, and how “dinner talk” is an effective teaching format. Articles cover listening skills, communication, internet safeguards, harmony at home, and how to satisfy your adolescent’s spiritual hunger.

II. “Epic Heroes” defines the power of epic literature, shows children’s need for parental example, and illustrates the power of using parables in dinner time teaching and at other teaching moments. Parents underestimate the influence of their example, both positive and negative. History, epic stories, and positive cultural traditions contribute to children’s vital sense of identity. Articles teach about parental example, and how to turn adversity into a character-building experience. Parents learn how to teach moral values without nagging. Relevant parables show parents how to make their teaching unforgettable.

III. “Character Education” covers accountability, work ethics, choices and consequences, integrity, self-discipline, meditation, reverence, right and wrong, drug prevention strategy. Children learn how obedience to just principles brings them peace. Epic heroes provide worthy role models for children and youth and help filter out negative influences.

IV. “Adolescent Morality and Peer Influence” addresses the causes of peer pressure. Parents learn about adolescent identity crisis and how to overcome it. Parents can set high moral standards for their children and help young people live them without being discouraged. Moral standards help youth become leaders, not followers of their peers.

Each lesson includes a list of activities, such as planning theme-based family nights, readers’ theater, service projects, discussion questions, journal writing, and more. Substantial resources provide character building activities, dinner talk themes, additional parables, quotes, relevant news items, informative articles, dinner talk theme book, and more.

Author/parent Christine McClung grew up with dinner talk, and without television, in her home. She and her husband Richard have raised four children to be responsible adults, making meaningful contributions to society.

Visitors to these free online parenting classes find inspiration, useful information, activities, and support. Parents will learn how to establish fun family traditions, make their teaching unforgettable, build strong moral character, win against peer pressure, and teach their children how to be leaders. Tonight’s dinner talk trains tomorrow’s heroes. Now available in Spanish.

For additional information, resources and support, visit www.epicworld.net. For Spanish, visit www.epicworld.net/hispana

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