In this episode of The Lab, the dads reveal what can help your kids perform better in school, avoid sex, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, reduce the likelihood of an eating disorder and help the development of vocabulary. Eat dinner with your family. Family meals provide all kinds of benefits to parents and children. DadLabs Ep. 269 The Lab. This video brought to you by BabyBjorn.

DADDY BRAD: All right, no more lead paint, no more BPA. I want some good news.

DADDY CLAY: Okay, I got it for you.

DADDY BRAD: Bull. Doctor Freaking Doom over there.

DADDY CLAY: Protects them from using drugs; decreases eating disorders. Helps their performance in school, helps them to learn big words and delay having sex and know what side the napkin goes on.

DADDY BRAD: You can’t give small kids beer.

DADDY CLAY: Decreases use of alcohol and tobacco, too. Family dinner.

DADDY BRAD: Oh, right. I’d heard that.

DADDY CLAY: Now eating dinner, that is a cause I can get behind, right?

DADDY BRAD: Okay, Devil’s advocate. All these good things -- no sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.

DADDY CLAY: Didn’t say a thing about rock’n’roll.

DADDY BRAD: Okay, this one study?

DADDY CLAY: Tons of studies, big surveys, lots of years.

DADDY BRAD: But chicken or egg?

DADDY CLAY: Love the food metaphor.

DADDY BRAD: Does eating together cause kids to be healthier and happier? Or do healthier and happier families just tend to eat together more often?

DADDY CLAY: Excellent question. Hard to show causality. But some of these studies take “connectedness” into consideration, right. So regardless of how happy or connected these families report being, benefit holds.

DADDY BRAD: Really.

DADDY CLAY: Okay, and here’s the weird thing, plonking down with the bucket of KFC, benefit still there. TV on! Benefit still there.

DADDY BRAD: So you’re chocking down the extra crispy with Bill O’Reilly screaming in your ear, and it’s still good for the kids?

DADDY CLAY: I wouldn’t go that far. But having the television on during dinner doesn’t erase the benefits of family dinner.

DADDY BRAD: So what’s the baseline frequency.

DADDY CLAY: 5-7 meals a week.

DADDY BRAD: So dinner every night. How do you get in date night.

DADDY CLAY: Doesn’t have to be dinner.

DADDY BRAD: Doesn’t have to be dinner?

DADDY CLAY: Breakfast, lunch or.

DADDY BRAD: Okay, if the benefits are so clear, you can do takeout, keep the tv on, why on earth would families not eat dinner?

DADDY CLAY: Overscheduled. I’m definitely feeling it. Two kids with after-school sports practices. A third one before too long. Where do you find an hour when everybody’s free.

DADDY BRAD: And then there’s work.

DADDY CLAY: Thanks god we don’t have to worry about that.

DADDY BRAD: That’s what I’m saying.

DADDY CLAY: Commuting is the enemy. Overscheduling and commuting.

DADDY BRAD: So what is it? What’s the magic?

DADDY CLAY: Gathering the tribe around the fire, dude. Who knows? Everybody knows it’s a good thing. I mean, why is laughing good for you, right? We’ve got short memories maybe. Need to be reminded of the fact that we’re a part of something. We’re all in it together.