Preschool children who eat with family have better vocabularies. Dinnertime chatting exposes them to a broader vocabulary, especially as they listen to conversation between adults. Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital studied 527 adolescents and found that if mealtimes are shared with parents or grandparents regularly, they could account for 75 percent of the difference in youth being well adjusted or having problems with substance abuse, depression or other adjustment problems. That's probably not due to mealtimes alone, but is an outgrowth of families that eat together also being more likely to do some other positive things. Modeling good nutrition.
Children eat better at a regular family mealtime than when they fix food or eat out on their own.
With all these benefits, it's worth getting the family together at mealtime. Make it a priority, but be flexible. This might include bringing prepared food home or giving children an early snack so they can wait for a later dinner when everyone is home. Make it a time for pleasant visiting with an emphasis on building relationships. Avoid making it a time to lecture or scold.