According to a recent poll of British families only one i five families eat together once a week or less.? Even when families do eat together, three-quarters of them do it in front of the telly.
A survey conducted by BBC?s Newsround showed that 13% of children never eat together as a family ? a worrying statistic which could be seriously detrimental to our children?s health and wellbeing.
Modern living can make it difficult to sit down as a family every mealtime, but according to a report by the government’s Department for Children, Familiesm Schools and Families cited strong evidence to show that children who regularly sit down to eat with the family achieve better GCSE grades than those who do not.
If you can’t prize yourself away from the digital box at mealtimes, it might be something to do with your furniture…Mark Elliot furniture, handmade in England, is specifically made with family life in mind.? Mark Elliot designed his Macintosh chairs with a smooth curved back for supporting the spine, encouraging good posture to aid healthy digestion.? The range even includes a gorgeous bench seat which kids love to sit on at dinner time.
So what kind of dining/kitchen table is most conducive to getting the family together at meal times?? ?A round table is perfect for smaller families? continues Mark ?as everyone is equal, preventing any sort of detrimental family pecking order.? But if you have a larger family it is wise to go for an extendable rectangular table, such as our New England range, which can seat more people but yet still provide a lovely intimate atmosphere.?
Eating together at the table is also widely believed by nutrition experts to reduce obesity as it encourages slower eating. Family meal times also help children develop behavioural etiquette ? simple things like how to handle their cutlery.? More and more children are starting school without being taught how to hold a knife and fork properly!
Sitting down together as a family to enjoy a meal gives you time to laugh, talk and learn about each other?s lives.? Although it is not always easy to organise, the benefits of doing so are well worth the effort.
Mark Elliot stores are found in Altrincham, Bishop?s Stortford, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Holkham, Holt, Monmouth, Norwich, Snape Maltings, Southwold and Stamford. Or buy online at www.markelliot.co.uk
