12:58 PM PST on Friday, November 25, 2005

By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

Many gathered around the dinner table for Thanksgiving, but how many American families make it a ritual to eat together every night?

After a long day at work, Brenda Simon takes on her next job: preparing dinner.

KING

For many families, eating together is no longer a tradition.

"I'm not going to say I really enjoy it, but that it's something I feel we have to do," she said.

She doesn't work alone. Her husband, Ray, who has been taking care of the children all day shares the preparations, the cooking and the cleanup, too.

Except for the nights when Ray is working his shift at the firehouse, the Simons eat with their boys at the end of the day.

But for many families, the traditional dinner is no longer a tradition.

In one recent study, just 43 percent of 9- to 14-year-olds ate with their families every night, and 17 percent of children never ate with their families at all.

The reasons include busy work schedules for parents, and busy school and athletic schedules for children.

University of Washington researcher, Dr. Donna Johnson, believes it's a real loss. Her new research shows how much families benefit when they sit and eat together.

"Kids who eat together tend to have better school success. They tend to do less substance abuse. They tend to move on and transition to adulthood easier," she said.

They also tend to eat healthier meals and children learn the art of conversation.

"What they feel and what they think is important, and it starts by telling mommy and daddy how their day was. No matter what we might think is a small thing, it's big to them," said Ray.

"That also gives Ray and me a chance to talk because normally we do our cooking together," said Brenda.

Researchers hope that linking family meals to better grades and staying drug-free will encourage parents to make dinner an essential part of the day.

Keep the meals simple, cook together, turn off the television set and talk to one another.

If you schedule doesn't allow everyone to eat dinner together, try eating breakfast together instead.