When the Homily is about Immunology

"a quaint throwback"

Family meal seen as way to reconnect families.

It's rather telling that the journalist feels it neccesary to note that this "may seem a quaint throwback", but I am guessing it is something that most of you reading here have deemed as an important part of your family life.

However, again I am going to criticize. Both the study and particularly the reporting of the results. They say that "a national study of kids between 3 and 12 found that more meal time at home was the single strongest predictor..." but they mention very little as to what the other predictors were (note the deliberate belittling of church). And of course people will see the headline and assume all they really need to do is to is eat together and THAT will make the difference. Of course it doesn't work that way.

Families that make the family meal a pivot point in their lives will have many many other things going for it. Making family a priority is not something that can be done by adding "dinner" into your bonchberry handheld...instead it requires the bonchberry be thrown away. At least for a time.

And, for the record, such things are much more than predictors for "better achievement scores", in fact that is probably the least important benefit.