The media bombards us daily with doom and gloom about the nation’s eating habits: how few families eat together and how little time is spent sat around a table enjoying a meal.

Long working hours and busy social lives (for both adults and children) often make it pretty difficult to gather everyone at the same time however it is worth it if you can manage it!

Reason One

Eating together means that you only have to cook and clear away once!
Why add to your workload? Even if it’s only one evening a week its worth making the effort.
Here are our tips…
• In advance prepare a one-dish supper such as lasagne or fish pie.
• Agree that on a certain day you (the parent/s) will be home from work by 6pm at the latest.
• Make sure that little children have had a snack in the afternoon to keep them going. Even very little children can last until 6.30pm to eat – (all our European neighbours do)
• Get little children into pyjamas and dressing gowns
• Older children can help to lay the table
• Try and start supper by 6.30pm

Reason Two

Eating together gives you the opportunity to have family conversation and share news about your day.
• Children can get really fed up being asked “what did you do today?” so how about asking “what is the best thing that happened to you today?”
• How many kids really know what their parents do at work? Tell them about your day and what you have been up to.
• Try and talk about something exciting as well as the everyday stuff – where you might be going on holiday perhaps or the plan for the next birthday party.

Reason Three

Eating together encourages good table manners and helpfulness.
Parents are not slaves even if it feels that way! Ensure that your children appreciate that everyone has to do their bit…
• Ask your children to help lay the table – even very young ones can place the cutlery.
• Ask your children to help to clear the table – they should learn that they can’t just jump up at the end of a meal and rush off.
• If children regularly eat with adults they will learn how to behave at the table.

Reason Four

Eating together instils good eating habits from a young age.
Why, in Britain are we obsessed with offering children a different menu to ourselves? And what do we give them at home and in restaurants? Processed chicken nuggets and tinned spaghetti shapes…would you eat it?
• Assume that your children will like certain foods – put it on their plate from a very young age and don’t make a fuss – the chances are that they will just eat up.
• Don’t pretend that something is not what it is, just say “this looks yummy, its called butternut squash…)
• Encourage your children to at least try a new food – otherwise how will they know if they do or don’t like it?
• It is exasperating to invite a child for tea and to be told that they only eat sausages. Help your child to understand that when at someone else’s’ house, they should try a little bit of everything to show willing.

Reason Five

Eating together encourages children to become confident, social and articulate.
So many of our social gatherings are food based and so much pleasure can be had from sitting around a table, enjoying good food and good company. It is a great lesson to learn early on whether it is with a group of seven year olds or with granny and great aunt Flo.