Meal times are said to be an opportunity for the entire family to get together and spend some quality time with each other after a busy day at work and school.
But it looks like many are spending more time interacting with their phones and television, instead of each other when they are sitting around the dinner table - and it could be affecting your children's behaviour.
Kimberley Wilson, charted psychologist and former Great British Bake-Off finalist, has worked with The Food Warehouse to help families 'reclaim the dinner table' and reconnect with a few handy tips.
It comes as the food retailer surveyed 2,000 Brits across the country and found that over half of them said that they should be spending more quality time as a family round the dining table.
Nevertheless, a whopping 52 per cent have said that they turned their dining table into a makeshift home office desk during the national lockdown, while a further 71 per cent are still doing so - despite many workers having gone back to the office.
An additional 39 per cent have confirmed that they instead choose to opt to eat from the sofa, where they can catch up on social media or on the latest television programme.
One third (33 percent) admitted that they will often miss out on a meal around the dining table, as they enjoy a TV dinner and a further 21 per cent of Brits have also revealed that they actually use dinner to catch up on social media or to text on their phones.
The usage of phones whilst eating a meal also increased to 30 per cent at lunch time and 35 per cent at breakfast.
Psychologist Kimberley Wilson has since said that 'technoference' can be impairing our relationships, emotional wellbeing, as well as affecting our little ones' behaviour.
She said: "Ideally, family mealtimes are an opportunity to switch off from the outside world, but the survey reveals a fairly high level of ‘technoference’, where technology interrupts our relationships.
Digital distractions can impair relationship quality, emotional wellbeing and even have negative effects on children’s behaviour.
The good news is that around half of us want to reconnect with loved ones over dinner, with two in five saying it is their only opportunity to talk so it’s really looking at ways to make the most of this precious time."
Despite many saying that they want to make the most of their time together as a family, 35 per cent explains that the reason they are unable to do is because of busy work schedules.
On a positive note, 35 per cent of those with families said sitting together round the dining table is a way to help their children discuss their day.
If you are looking to help 'reclaim the dinner table' to reconnect with your family without the interference of technology, then Kimberley has shared her top five tips.
- Start easy. Life is busy and it can be hard to synchronise schedules, so it might be a good idea, in the beginning, to just choose one meal in the week that everyone can make. Perhaps this is dinner, but some weeks it might be breakfast or a weekend household brunch.
- Plan ahead. Plan the week’s meals in advance. Not only will this help families to shop efficiently but it relieves the pressure of working out what to make after a busy day, allowing more room for enjoyment.
- Family favourites. Make a list of everyone’s favourite meals. Every week aim to make a meal from that list. This can help to increase ‘buy in’ and pleasure.
- Put away the technology. Phones take our attention away from the people we are with and technoference has a negative impact on the quality of our relationships. Agree to put phones away (out of sight in a different room) for the duration of the meal.
- Family meals are part of a shared experience and symbolise connectedness. Where possible, try to eat same meal. If members of the household have different dietary needs, you can get creative with this. Maybe you share a salad at the start of a meal if people have to have different mains.
With the survey findings revealing 44 per cent of family evening meals are made differently for each person and a further 15 per cent of households having entirely different meals altogether, The Food Warehouse is making it easier to dish up big value family meals that can be tailored to each person depending on what they like.
Families can grab bigger pack options of some family meal time favourites for less from The Food Warehouse and you can access their great deals in stores across the country.
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