Growing up, 8:00 was always dinner time for my family. That may seem late, and most American families eat earlier than that, but my dad often got home from work at around this time and my siblings and I were all sure to be done with after-school activities. My parents always insisted on eating dinner as a family, but I often complained about having to wait for everyone to get home, especially since my stomach was usually rumbling by this time. However, as I got older and looked back on my younger years, I came to realize how much those dinners had a positive impact on me, my family members, and our bond as a family.

Many people don’t realize how much can be gained by sharing your last meal of the day with your loved ones, and I certainly didn’t until much later in life. Family dinner gives the entire household a chance to sit down together, relax, rejuvenate, reflect on everyone’s day, and tell stories. This can be a time where everyone recounts the highs and lows of their days. Getting this daily update makes the family closer as a whole and develop better relationships with one another.

People are often so busy during the day that they may not be home or may not get much of a chance to converse with their family members to update them on their lives. There were many days, especially in high school when things got more hectic, where I found that dinner time was the only time of day where I had the chance to connect with my family. Of course, phones were never allowed at the dinner table, and so all of us were even more inclined to engage in the conversation. Besides that, it was my favorite time to disconnect from the outside world and focus on conversing with my parents and siblings.

Family dinner promotes healthy communication. It teaches kids to listen, to understand, to reflect, and to express themselves. It gives parents a chance to teach their kids about current events or have open interactions about sensitive or serious topics. I learned so much from the open dinner conversations my family would have and got the chance to ask so many important questions. Dinnertime conversations always got me thinking.

Dinner with the family gives you something to look forward to. It’s a positive way to end your day. Sometimes you have such a great day that all you want to do is talk about it, and sometimes the day has been rough or there is something bothering you—either way, you know you have that one meal where you can reflect on it all and get some feedback. Sitting with the people you love most makes you want to take your time and enjoy your meal more than you would have otherwise.

Having dinner at home every night also saves money. It is significantly cheaper than eating at restaurants every night, and it is also healthier. It can additionally be an opportunity for the whole family to get involved—kids can help their parents cook, set the table, clean, or do the dishes. It can be a group effort and something for everyone to do together.

Looking back, eating dinner with my family every night shaped my life in ways I had failed to realize growing up. As a college student now, I still look forward to family dinners when I come home. It may not always work with everyone’s schedule, and there were definitely nights where my family was unable to make dinner together happen, but it is definitely worth it for everyone to try to make it work as much as they can. I look forward to one day sitting around the table every evening with my own children and learning about their lives, engaging in conversations they’ll never forget, and securing a strong, supportive relationship among the family.