By Michelle Norris
Most parents realise that sitting down together as a family for dinner is an important part of their children’s development.
However, nearly half of us admit to eating in front of the TV, according to a survey by Wimpy.
The research, which was conducted to explore family dining habits and the benefits of eating together as a family on the development of a child’s relationships and social skills, also revealed that even though many parents admitted that they’re not necessarily able to dine together because of various commitments, 32% said that they’re too busy taking their children off to other activities.
“Parents think that they’re doing the best thing for their children by rushing them off,” says child and behaviour expert Eileen Hayes (pictured below). “But the truth is, they’re better off spending time with them at the meal table.”
Eileen, who is best known for her work with the BBC, GMTV, This Morning and Channel Five explains the implications of constantly eating together in front of the TV.
“There are a lot of different developmental problems that not eating with the family can create,” says the mother-of-four. “Obviously there are the practical and simple life skills, like how to sit at a table and hold a knife and fork.
“There can also be problems with their communication skills and their abilities to listen and talk, because if you’ve got the TV on constantly, you’re not going to be talking,” she continues. “Their language development can also be impacted as well as a lack of exercise, which is linked to obesity.
“If families do dine together, they get the chance to learn and practice sociable skills,” she adds. “There are the more subtle advantages too like being able to tell their parents their worries and build up trust through communication. It can raise their self-esteem and help the family to gel together.”
And Eileen was pleased to discover from the survey that more parents are aware of this problem.
“I was surprised by how many parents realised that they should be making time to eat as a family, which shows that there is the motivation there to change,” she says.
And to help parents get more advice on their child’s eating habits, Wimpy in Benfleet arranged a Q&A session with Eileen Hayes on Thursday 8 July, giving parents and youngsters the chance to get advice on any issues or concerns that they have relating to their family dining habits and the impact that this might be having on their children (seen above).
“How often do you get to put an expert on the spot and ask them about your child’s eating habits?” asks Eileen.
Eileen spoke to parents and children at the Wimpy restaurant in London Road, Benfleet from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on Thurs 8 July.