The [Dinner Party] program is not about turning students into mini Martha Stewarts. Rather it teaches children – and their parents – to view mealtime as a celebration of family. At a time when some children’s pain is so deep they are turning ot guns, ti’s vital that busy parents spend more time getting to know their children, says the author of ‘Cooking Time Is Family Time,” Lynn Fredericks. “Around a table, it’s easier to talk about opinions and feelings.”