--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Educators and psychologists have a mantra…" description: "\"“Educators and psychologists have a mantra these days: No matter how hectic the schedules of your family members may be, make time to have dinner toget..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/julie-lythcott-haims-20488_academic-achievement_educators-and-psychologists-have-a-mantr_123094.jpg" --- # Educators and psychologists have a mantra these days: No… ![“Educators and psychologists have a mantra these days: No matter how hectic the schedules of your family members may be, make time to have dinner together. Research shows that family dinners help kids feel they matter to the parent, and as a result they have a positive impact on kids’ mental health…” quote by Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/julie-lythcott-haims-20488_academic-achievement_educators-and-psychologists-have-a-mantr_123094.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/julie-lythcott-haims-20488_academic-achievement_educators-and-psychologists-have-a-mantr_123094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/julie-lythcott-haims-20488_academic-achievement_educators-and-psychologists-have-a-mantr_123094.jpg) > ““Educators and psychologists have a mantra these days: No matter how hectic the schedules of your family members may be, make time to have dinner together. Research shows that family dinners help kids feel they matter to the parent, and as a result they have a positive impact on kids’ mental health and lead to greater self-esteem and greater academic achievement. In addition to talking to our kids about their day or their lives, talking to them about current events scales the level of critical thinking up a level—to”” [Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lythcott-haims/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Regular family meals foster emotional connection, boosting children's self‑esteem, mental health, and academic performance, while also encouraging critical discussion of current events. **In simple terms:** Family dinners nurture kids' confidence and thinking. Key Takeaway Shared meals strengthen bonds and learning. Themes family mental health education communication critical thinking Mood warm reflective Type advice parenting When to use this quote - weekly family dinner - parent‑child debrief after school - holiday meals with extended family Key Concepts attachment theory social learning Practical Applications - schedule a fixed dinner time - use meals for open‑ended questions Questions to Reflect On - How can families with busy schedules still create meaningful shared moments? - What topics best promote critical thinking during dinner? A Different Perspective May be challenging for families with irregular work hours or cultural differences in meal practices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic-achievement/) [Critical thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-thinking/) [Current events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/current-events/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-members/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [There are so many family dinners you can do. I eventually had to go to them and say, 'Look, I don't do spatula work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/there-are-so-many-family-dinners-you-can-do-i-eventually-had-to-go-to/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [What we like to do is have family dinners at home so we don't have to have make-up on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-hilton/what-we-like-to-do-is-have-family-dinners-at-home-so-we-don-t-have-to/) [Kathy Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-hilton/) > [I was almost surprised to realize that I had actually done something right as a parent by insisting on regular family dinners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-david/i-was-almost-surprised-to-realize-that-i-had-actually-done-something/) [Laurie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-david/) > [Family dinners are more often than not an ordeal of nervous indigestion, preceded by hidden resentment and ennui and accompanied by psychosomatic jitters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-k-fisher/family-dinners-are-more-often-than-not-an-ordeal-of-nervous/) [M. F. K. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-k-fisher/) > [My mom is a great cook, and family dinners were a must growing up, even if that meant eating at 10 p.m. when my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/my-mom-is-a-great-cook-and-family-dinners-were-a-must-growing-up-even/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [All other things being equal, family dinners aren't associated with healthier or better-behaved teens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-other-things-being-equal-family-dinners-aren-t-associated-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Growing up, I didn't have great family dinners. We sat down every night, and my mother cooked food, but it was always about who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-david/growing-up-i-didn-t-have-great-family-dinners-we-sat-down-every-night/) [Laurie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-david/) > [When we have our family dinners and going out to dinner or whatever, we have a carful. We have a full bunch, that's for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-vaughan/when-we-have-our-family-dinners-and-going-out-to-dinner-or-whatever/) [Greg Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-vaughan/) > [I loved seeing my mom put her own twist on years-old family recipes and also create new dishes. This made me develop a passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-alves/i-loved-seeing-my-mom-put-her-own-twist-on-years-old-family-recipes/) [Camila Alves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-alves/) > [I like to hike and play with my dogs and spend time with my family. We go out to family dinners a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabby-douglas/i-like-to-hike-and-play-with-my-dogs-and-spend-time-with-my-family-we/) [Gabby Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabby-douglas/) > [“you need to cut back on social activities, including after school activities for your kids, in favor of more family dinners and quality time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-stosny/you-need-to-cut-back-on-social-activities-including-after-school/) [Steven Stosny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-stosny/) > [We don't really go in for big family dinners, but Scottish people are famously confrontational. It's a cultural thing, so maybe we don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-mina/we-don-t-really-go-in-for-big-family-dinners-but-scottish-people-are/) [Denise Mina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-mina/) > [My mum still wonders when I'll get a real job. These are the questions we discuss at our family dinners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aron-flam/my-mum-still-wonders-when-i-ll-get-a-real-job-these-are-the-questions/) [Aron Flam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aron-flam/) > [One thing that was really important in our family was family dinners and nothing was really off limits, but I have to say, looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-germanotta/one-thing-that-was-really-important-in-our-family-was-family-dinners/) [Cynthia Germanotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-germanotta/) > [Most nights of the week I make it a point to get home in time to have dinner with my wife. It's a simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baiju-bhatt/most-nights-of-the-week-i-make-it-a-point-to-get-home-in-time-to-have/) [Baiju Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baiju-bhatt/) ## More by Julie Lythcott-Haims > [“Send your kid to a summer camp focused on free play. 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They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-lythcott-haims/as-denise-pope-outlined-in-doing-school-kids-today-have-tremendous/) [Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lythcott-haims/) > [“Read Hanna Rosin’s 2014 article “The Overprotected Kid”7 about one such place in the United Kingdom called “The Land” and think about how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-lythcott-haims/read-hanna-rosin-s-2014-article-the-overprotected-kid-7-about-one/) [Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lythcott-haims/) > [“In 2000, a German researcher named Andreas Schleicher developed the Program for International Student Assessment test (PISA) to help nations determine whether their teenagers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-lythcott-haims/in-2000-a-german-researcher-named-andreas-schleicher-developed-the/) [Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lythcott-haims/) > [“That I expect them to break the rules and to climb up to the highest branch and saw it off behind them. 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In her book she explains that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-lythcott-haims/educator-jennifer-fox-author-of-your-child-s-strengths-a-guide-for/) [Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lythcott-haims/) > [“Dweck’s website, mindsetonline.com, teaches a step-by-step approach to developing “growth mindset.”15”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-lythcott-haims/dweck-s-website-mindsetonline-com-teaches-a-step-by-step-approach-to/) [Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lythcott-haims/) > [“The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way, Amanda Ripley explains that around the world the kids whose parents engaged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-lythcott-haims/the-smartest-kids-in-the-world-and-how-they-got-that-way-amanda/) [Julie Lythcott-Haims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-lythcott-haims/) > [“The mountain climber takes pride in planting his flag at the top because it took a lot to get there. 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