BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Jim and Susan Sturdivant firmly believe that family dinners help build healthy families.

That’s why, despite his law career, her part-time position as a speech pathologist and four active sons, ages 9 to 18, most of the family makes it to the dinner table three or four nights a week.

And, with rare exceptions, nothing that rings, buzzes or beeps is allowed to gather with them.

“I think it’s important to get away from all the other distractions and have to look at each other across the table,” Jim Sturdivant says.

Indeed it is, therapists say.

“I think it’s the most important time together a family has,” says Bert Pitts, a psychologist and owner of Pitts and Associates in Homewood.

Frequent family mealtimes — minus modern-day diversions such as iPods and Blackberries — instill a sense of belonging, enhance communication skills and support emotional well-being.

“It can be a time of feeding in every way — physically, spiritually and emotionally,” Pitts says.

Frequent family dining is even associated with lower rates of teen smoking, drinking, and legal and illegal drug use. Compared to teens who regularly participate in family dinners, teens who don’t are three-and-a-half times more likely to have abused prescription drugs or an illegal drug (other than marijuana), according to information from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, too, such as skipping meals, diet-pill abuse and anorexia.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University considers family meals so important that they sponsor an annual initiative, “Family Day — A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children,” which falls this year on September 22.

Then there’s this: “It’s the basis for teaching social skills and manners,” says Vivian Friedman, clinical psychologist and professor at UAB School of Medicine.

All of which should alleviate your guilt about requiring Junior to come to the table, or temporarily confiscating any electronics that come with him.

“You don’t allow that,” Friedman says. “The dinner table is for everybody to gather together and talk about their day.”

And yes, they’re aware this isn’t the’50s, and your family might not resemble the Cleavers (with June cooking the bacon, brought home by Ward, while Wally and “the Beav” play in the yard). Occasionally, it’s all you can do to drive through Burger Doodle — soccer-cleated, cheerleading-uniformed kids in tow — and call it dinner.

“I know it’s hard to make it happen,” Pitts says. “If you’re only able to sit down once or twice or three times a week, don’t beat yourself up.”