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It's part of a story that is gathering momentum. British kids have a poor diet, snack all day long, don't exercise enough and now the decline of the family meal. Teenagers asking 'What's for dinner?' are increasingly told 'Look in the freezer.' Food on the hoof is the norm in many families.

Back To The Table

Raisingkids.co.uk is launching a national campaign to encourage families to eat together at least once a week. When more and more things in families are done in isolation (watching TV, playing music, using the computer), eating together is an opportunity for the family to talk, share experiences, laugh and have 'family time'.

The benefits to children and to families are obvious:

• Families share experiences and bond together
• Children are less fussy, since one meal is cooked for all
• Children learn social skills and good manners
• Children become more appreciative of food when eating is a social pleasure and not merely a way of warding off hunger
• Indirectly there may be weight loss

A quote from a mother of 5 children on the www.raisingkids.co.uk discussion boards, shows how important family mealtimes are.

I find the best way to all eat 'real food ' is for us to all sit down at the table together which sort of disappeared for a while as everyone was doing 'stuff'. But the fact is if you make it happen, the 'stuff' tends to be put off. We sit down now at least 5 nights a week and Sunday Lunch and it is the most gratifying feeling I get, to see MY family tucking in to food made by me and talking/laughing and just being together.

Raisingkids.co.uk is the UK's leading parenting website. Founder, Dr Pat Spungin is a well-known spokesperson on family and parenting matters. We are inviting companies with an interest in the family market to work in partnership with raisingkids.co.uk to drive the campaign forward.

INTRODUCTION TO BACK TO THE TABLE: 01 April 2004