Do you prioritise family mealtime? In today’s fast-paced environment, where everyone often feels pulled in different directions, family meals can be easily dismissed and missed. Family meals can be truly magical; besides nourishing, they pull families into unity and support mental, physical and emotional health. The benefits span across all age groups. In teenagers specifically, a large body of research shows that families who have meals together show: • Better school performance, with a higher likelihood of achieving A’s, is in school. • Lower the risk of teenage behaviours such as smoking, substance abuse, eating disorders, teenage pregnancy and violence. • Lower risk for depression and anxiety, and higher self-esteem • Lower obesity risk and better cardiovascular health Family meals can play a vital role in strengthening family bonds, promoting stability, and fostering a sense of unity and connectedness. They also have the potential to enhance the developmental assets of adolescents, including problem-solving skills and social-emotional growth. Additionally, family traditions and routines, such as shared meals, provide a sense of consistency and an opportunity to connect while promoting healthy attitudes and behaviours related to food. Family meals are also powerful for adults, as well, with parents having better nutrition, less dieting patterns, more self-esteem and lower risk of depression – I see this happening every day in my practice. Eating meals together as a family also has a profoundly positive impact on the child’s and adolescent’s eating habits and diet quality; the more meals eaten together, the greater the impact. Number of meals together In today’s world, where schedules are packed and families barely meet, meals together can sound like quite an unrealistic task. Frequent regular family meals are usually defined as 3-7 times a week, keeping the consistency, reflect a sense of connection and priority. So, if you have only one meal a week together, consider how you can adjust your schedule to increase the number of family meals you have routinely. We have at least 16 possible times for families to eat together—seven breakfasts, seven dinners, and two weekend lunches. And let’s not forget snack time or bedtime snacks, which can also be used as a meaningful connection time over a fruit, nuts, and a glass of milk or a cup of yoghurt. Making family meals engaging and welcoming The ideal meal combines nutritious, balanced, and delicious food with fun and conversationbut not always easy to cultivate a welcoming and open environment and dining table. If keeping the conversation with your teen is hard, thefamilydinnerproject.org has some creative tips. Here are some: • Set an example and keep devices out of the dining table, and avoid getting distractedby them. • Encourage Sharing. Invite each family member to share highlights from their day or something they’re looking forward to. This sets a tone of openness and encourages everyone to participate. Start the conversation by sharing something about your day and asking for feedback from the children, e.g., how would you suggest Dad deals with his co-worker in that challenging situation? • Celebrate Small Wins . Use mealtime to acknowledge achievements, no matter how small. Celebrating these moments can boost a teenager’s self-esteem. • Cook Together. Involve your teenagers in meal preparation. This not only teaches them valuable life skills but also creates a shared experience that can make the meal more enjoyable. Play games if talking and sharing at the dining table is not something you are comfortable with yet ; games are a great way to break the ice. Here are some examples: • 20 Questions: One person thinks of an object, person, or place, and the others take turns asking yes-or-no questions to guess what it is within 20 questions. • Would You Rather?: Pose fun or silly hypothetical questions, like “Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?” Everyone takes turns answering and discussing their choices. • Story Building: One person starts a story with a sentence, and each person adds a sentence to continue the story. This can lead to some funny or creative narratives! • Two Truths and a Lie: Everyone takes turns sharing two true facts and one false factabout themselves—the rest of the family guesses which is the lie. • Table Trivia: Prepare some trivia questions about family history, fun facts, or themes related to the meal or occasion. • Guess the Song: Hum or tap a rhythm of a song, and others try to guess what it is. You can even create categories like “Disney songs” or “80s hits.” • Charades: Act out a word or phrase without speaking, while the others guess what it is. This can be themed according to the season or a holiday. In Conclusion The link between family meals and mental health outcomes is clear. By prioritising shared mealtimes, families can not only improve their physical nutrition but also enhance emotional well-being through the connections formed around it. Even if it starts with just a few meals a week, the long-term effects on mental health and family bonds are profound. So, consider making family mealtime a cherished routine—you might be surprised by the positive changes it brings to your family dynamic One last note – don’t beat yourself up if family meals are not picture-perfect or don’thappen with the “right” consistency. Knowledge is power, and being aware of the benefits of family meals is important; therefore, this article. However, we also know that “life happens” sometimes, and family mealtime might be put on the backburner during these busy periods. That will not make you and your partner a failure, only human. Just restart building these routines again, step by step – these habits are utterly worth fighting for. Claudia Correia Dietitian and mother of two Accredited Dietitian of Singapore References Harrison, M. E., Norris, M. L., Obeid, N., Fu, M., Weinstangel, H., & Sampson, M. (2015). Systematic review of the effects of family meal frequency on psychosocial outcomes in youth. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien , 61 (2), e96–e106. https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/ https://www.raisingteenagers.com.au/power-familymeals/

They are always online — scrolling, replying, editing, performing. But behind the glow of the screen, an invisible crisis is unfolding. As a psychotherapist working with adolescents and young adults in Singapore, I meet high-functioning, articulate, often high-achieving teens who are quietly unravelling beneath the surface. On paper, they’re thriving. But in session, I hear what they’re too afraid to tell anyone else: “I’m exhausted, but I can’t stop.” “If I’m not perfect, I’m nothing.” “No one really knows me.” “If I disappeared, I don’t think it would matter.” This is not melodrama or teenage angst. This is a generation drowning in disconnection, pressure, and silent despair. Teen Suicide in Singapore: A Growing Tragedy Suicide remains the leading cause of death among youth aged 10 to 29 in Singapore. This is not a statistical fluke. It reflects deeper systemic and cultural problems — many of which fester quietly in the lives of young people who appear “fine.” They are not just sad. They are overwhelmed, overstimulated, and emotionally unsupported. And often, their distress is invisible — until it’s too late. What’s Driving the Crisis? A Web of Pressures There is no single cause behind youth suicide. Instead, it emerges from a complex tangle of digital, relational, academic, and emotional pressures — many of which are hiding in plain sight. 1. Digital Addiction and Emotional Fragmentation Teens often spend 8 to 12 hours online — not simply for fun, but because the digital world offers temporary relief. They maintain multiple curated identities on Instagram, TikTok, Discord, and Telegram. The dopamine hits from notifications are fleeting, but the emotional crashes are deep. Over time, the distinction between performance and authenticity collapses. 2. Cyberbullying and Silent Shame Bullying doesn’t end when the school bell rings. It lives in anonymous confession pages, group chats, and social media threads. A single screenshot can trigger weeks of shame. Many teens never tell anyone, fearing judgment or dismissal. So they carry the pain alone. 3. Academic Stress and the Culture of Overachievement In Singapore, academic success is often tied to identity and worth. Even top scorers believe they aren’t doing enough. Many internalise a dangerous belief: I am only lovable when I achieve. For perfectionistic teens, failure becomes existential. 4. Emotional Disconnection at Home Parents may love deeply yet still be emotionally unavailable — stretched thin by work, stress, or their own inner wounds. Teens sense this. They stop sharing. They withdraw. They begin to believe they are utterly alone in their experience. 5. Lack of Safety to Be Themselves Teens grappling with identity — whether related to gender, neurodiversity, body image, or emotional sensitivity — often feel they have no place to be fully seen. They mask, suppress, or fragment themselves just to fit in. Over time, this internal split becomes unbearable. What Parents Can Do: From Prevention to Protection While the causes are complex, parents are not powerless. In fact, your consistent emotional presence is one of the most protective forces in your child’s life. 1. Start the Conversation — Early and Often Teens don’t need interrogations. They need open-hearted questions and attuned presence. Go beyond “How was school?” and try: • “What’s something that’s felt heavy or confusing lately?” • “If today had a mood, what would it be?” • “Is there a meme, song, or reel that captures how you’re feeling?” • “Have there been moments where things just felt too much?” The goal is not to get answers, but to offer a safe emotional invitation. When they feel the sincerity behind your curiosity, they’re more likely to open up. 2. Co-Regulate Before You Educate Your nervous system sets the tone. If you remain calm, grounded, and emotionally available —especially during their moments of chaos — you teach them how to do the same. Before advising or reacting, pause. Sit beside them. Let them feel your steadiness. 3. Build Tech-Free Anchors of Connection Create small, consistent rituals that don’t involve performance: nightly walks, shared meals, cooking together, or listening to music in silence. These non-demanding moments become emotional landing places in a noisy world. 4. Validate, Don’t Minimise If your child says they’re stressed or low, avoid default responses like, “Everyone feels that way,” or “Just push through.” Instead, try: “That sounds incredibly hard. Thank you for telling me.” Validation does not mean agreement — it means recognition. 5. Learn to Spot the Red Flags Warning signs may include: • Withdrawal from friends or usual activities • Sleep or appetite changes • Flat affect or emotional numbness • Self-deprecating jokes or fatalistic remarks • Talk of being a burden or not belonging • Obsessive perfectionism or total shutdown If your intuition says something’s wrong—believe it. Don’t wait for proof. Reach out. Speak to them. Engage a counsellor or therapist. 6. Get Help — Not Just for Them, But for You Supporting a struggling teen can be overwhelming. You don’t need to do it alone. Therapy isn’t just for crisis — it’s a space for healing, insight, and reconnection. And when you do your own inner work, you model resilience and self-compassion they can follow. You Don’t Need to Fix Everything. You Just Need to Stay. Many teens on the brink of suicide don’t actually want to die. They want the pain to stop. They want to feel safe, seen, and supported in a world that often feels fast, cold, and demanding. You, as a parent, have the power to slow it down. To soften the space. To say, without condition: “I’m here. You matter. We’ll face this together.” Sometimes, that’s all it takes to bring a young person back from the edge.