Parents who share family time at meals are less likely to get divorced

Divorce risk less in families who eat together – but only if the TV isn’t switched on. Researchers have found that families who spend 30 more minutes per day than other families in family mealtimes have a 30% less risk of parental separation – but only if the TV isn’t on during the meal.

The study of 5,604 families looked at a host of other factors that might be connected with the chances of parental separation, but didn’t find any links. Having the TV on at mealtimes removed the positive association between family mealtimes and family stability.

Just as interesting were factors that weren’t to a reduction in the chance of separation; they included religious observance and the time that fathers spend alone with their children.

Poor relationship quality, of course, is a strong predictor of separation, but when the researchers controlled for relationship quality, family mealtimes with the TV off stood out.

The researchers, Professor Ariel Kalil at the University of Chicago and Mari Rege at the University of Stavanger in Norway, explored what might connect mealtimes without TV to a reduction in the chances of family separation.

Evidence suggests that when families share mealtimes with conversation, mothers are more positive about marital quality and happier with the relationship. Perhaps the key is the opportunity for communication that mealtimes afford, provided the TV is off.