Death of dinner time?
Published
Sitting and chatting together as a family over dinner is becoming a thing of the past, with over half of parents (56 per cent) in a new survey by BUPA saying they struggle to keep a conversation going.
Nearly 1 in 4 parents say they sit down to eat together less than they did before the pandemic, and 1 in 10 ‘hardly ever’ or ‘never’ eat as a family. Sadly, more than half (59 per cent) say that when they do have conversations over dinner it usually leads to a row. TV and screen time are a particular challenge – the average British family has up to three different screens, including phones, tablets and games consoles, on the go during mealtimes.
Most parents say they have tried to talk to their children about feelings at dinnertime, but when they do their kids immediately look down at their phone. Others think their kids feel uncomfortable and some parents say the children just shut them down.
Despite this, one in three parents would love to open up communication channels at dinner time as they believe that having a meaningful conversation would benefit the whole family. In particular, they think that talking over a meal would be good for everyone’s mental health. Yet only 13 per cent have taken the brave step of removing screens when they call their children to the table
Bupa commissioned the poll to launch their new colouring-in tablemats designed to encourage mindfulness and spark conversations around mental health. The tablemats and accompanying conversation prompts can be printed at home.
Visit www.bupa.co.uk
