How can we encourage families to spend more time eating together?

Question

This is the real Tom Aiken. For further details check out this blog post:
http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKPQoRKdVT4lowpJCljbFokkuIzI8

Answer 1

1. Set a specific time for eating each day, when everyone is at home.



2. Get everyone involved in the cooking process. For example, small children can make dessert, older children can look up recipes, while the parents make the main meal and help the younger ones.



3. Decide what meal will be eaten that day quite early on so that there is time to delegate tasks and to prepare some foods in advance, particularly if it's a busy day and there's less time to eat together.



4. Decide upon foods everyone likes, or foods that no one has tried before in order to add variation and entice people to the table. For example, fajitas are well liked by loads of people because you can stuff them with anything, so there can be a variety and everyone will eat something. Shepherds pie is another example, I know someone who puts baked beans in theirs and it still tastes good. Seafood risotto, roasted artichoke with dips, an exotic fruit salad (dragonfruit, starfruit, pineapple, papaya, lychee, etc) or even a home made Chinese are all examples of foods rarely attempted at home.



5. Get families to spice up what they eat. Eat less chips, in fact don't even stock them, and try new things. Instead of rice, use cous cous, or on a salad, add some croutons. Buy a bottle of salad dressing and give it a whirl. Don't just go to Tesco or Sainsbury for food and don't buy the same junk two weeks running. Try farmers markets for food or a butchers for something with more meat and less fat on.



In essence, families need to find time for each other and step away from the mundane.

Answer 2

By going back to the old values, have a table set for dinner, give a time that the family can and will sit and enjoy a meal together. share in making the meal and in laying the table. Turn off the Television, Computer, and all these things that distract inc. the phones, music, news, etc. We all live in our own selfish world of gadgets. Take time to enjoy each other with a meal and talk of what has happened today to every body, from the smallest to the largest of the family. IE age youngest first and everyone has to say something, and the rest just listen without comment, after the last has said his or her day. then all can comment on the day. That is the only way we will learn about each other, who knows we might even get to like each other, and grow to love.

My wife and I take time for each other every evening. and at least twice a week have a good meal we both prepare. and switch off everything, except the lights if needed, and ask friends over once a month and the same rule applies no phones. We and they just love it, and when the greater family is together a meal can last for hours, since we have to travel 700 plus kilometres and the others up to 100. We enjoy talking, not even in the same language, English and German is mixed. But the love is Universal

Answer 3

In today's society no matter how hard we work and socialise we have families and it is important to maintain something that is shared together and feeding time is great, no matter you hours of work or school hours or social hours you need to set aside this time and make the most of it, all family is to attend and even help with the prep and the cooking and the organising of the table etc, even little participation give quality time together to talk, laugh and be a family. Even if its once a week it helps.

I find that some weeks it is hard for everyone to be together at the same time to eat so sometimes we will say ok Friday we will have a late dinner together and we will all decide on what to have from the starter the main and pudding, and make it like we are out to dinner in a restaurant having a three course meal.

Or sometimes I will say OK Sunday everyone is to be home at a time and I will do the traditional Sunday roast and we are all together, if this fails I will suggest a day in the week that I will do the roast and all are there together.

We need to be more in touch with our families as society is bad enough as it is.

Answer 4

Two points, first I don't know who 'the real Tom Aiken' is, and second, shouldn't you ask how we can encourage families to spend less time eating together? Aren't we in the UK now the most obese nation in Europe? It's not the time it takes to eat the meal, it's what the meal consists of. A few shared healthy snacks a day have got to be better for you that sitting at the table stuffing away for an hour or more at breakfast and dinner. Good question, but rather bad timing with the above news about obesity having just been released.

Answer 5

Obviously, this is very difficult. People are now working longer hours and more often than not both parents work. Children need to eat earlier than adults and they go to bed earlier. The easiest thing to do would be to encourage families to have dinner together on a Saturday or have Sunday lunch together. To eat together everyday is not really feasible now. Children have far more after school activites. I think there is a lot of pressure on parents to cook from scratch every night and then to dish up delicious, nutritious food to their happy Walton like family. Life just isn't like that. Sometimes by the time I come home from work I am shattered. If I waited until 8pm to feed my children they would be moaning about how starving they are. Once a week we might have a takeaway when we all eat together - this takes the pressure off and means that we get to spend quality time together. I don't see the harm in this once a week. We also eat together at weekends. I think this is the most we can hope for in today's busy society.

Answer 6

The trick, I believe, is to make meal time fun, but also part of the routine. Children and partners should be encouraged to help out in the kitchen, so that they can feel as though they are contributing - peel spuds, mix dough, etc.



Turn the TV OFF. If you want to get the family around the table, build sitting down, as a family, into your daily routine. The TV is a distraction, as are toys and games, so if possible, take yourself out of the living room - Dinning room, or kitchen dinner. A place where everybody knows that is especially set asside for eating.



Kill the ready meals. Where is the fun in preparing and eating that rubbish? If you are busy during the week, fine. Have a baking session on Sunday. Get the kids to help. Freeze and re-heat at will (At least you will know what goes into it).



However, as ideal as this sounds there may be a bit of a problem. Most parents do not know how to cook. It is becoming a lost art and a great many family recipies are going down the drain. Cookery should be re-introduced at school - for BOTH sexes.



Cookery road shows - Especially to companies and trading estates - (Get the companies envolved with healthy work force slogans etc.) In this way you can demonstrate quick easy food to working families.



Alex

Answer 7

The practise of a family eating together should evolve from the outset of a couple meeting and living together - long before any children come on the scene. We would all agree at that stage of simple family life it is quite natural for the couple to almost always eat their meals together. Later when the children come along the system is often aloud to break down for the convenience of the individual family members - for so many different distractions not least of all television programmes, games machines and of course computers -, particularly the 'Internet' Unfortunately in this modern age it would be almost impossible to continue in that cosy comfortable homely way. Life is now too fast and although such a shame, we all need to keep up with the pace of modern living. It would be wonderful if only we could carry on as we did in the beginning !

In the main if the Family are close, supportive and loving to each other,- particularly with special respect for the parents, there should be no real problems.

Although a Family eating together is all very well and sounds idyllic, it is the love and support of each other that solves all the wrongs there may be ! Fortunately I believe the majority of the families in this world do love, care and support each one another.

Answer 8

I think the question is somewhat naive - a lot of families don't do ANYTHING together, never mind sit down and eat a meal together. Poverty, unemployment, depression, poor parenting skills, substance abuse all effect how families interract and a certain percentage of parents care more about where their next fix/drink is coming from than putting food on their child's plate.



Family meals are important but I think these things should be prioritised and when some children don't even get fed from one day to the next, it makes you realise what is actually important in the scheme of things.



This said, the only way to encourage families to eat together is to make it part of the routine, something normal, everyday - not just for Christmas and special occassions. It does have to be said that things change and with more parents working longer hours, perhaps families are simply unable to schedule 'tradiitonal' mealtimes anymore - a sad indication of how far society has sunk!

Answer 9

I suspect by gathering statistics on the family lives of kids who end up in juvenile court, perhaps also drug rehab centers, and how often they came from homes where the parents and kids rarely saw each other, rarely sat down to dinner together and had a pleasant meal, exchanging conversation and the news of the day, and getting important values inculcated.



In addition to all the important social and moral values, this is important to good eating habits, too. Various problems regarding refusing to eat, or eating too much or the wrong kinds of things, will show up here. Then a quiet word to the child privately (no more than a frown and subtle shake of the head at the dinner table) will do much to improve habits before they can cause too much damage.



Another benefit, more subtle perhaps but not less important, is the teaching of good manners. Not just the details of what fork to use, but the whole idea of making social interaction a pleasant and gracious thing instead of a trial. Kids who grow up with good manners have such an enormous advantage over those that do not when it comes time to enter the world of business and professions.

Answer 10

FIRST MAKE TIME.



Sit down together to plan meals and shopping lists. Everyone has a say.



Parcel out responsibilities for the food from buying to cooking to cleaning up & dish washing. A communal effort is the best here, helps everyone feel involved, nobody feel left out. And family members who are free when others aren't can contribute to the cause in their own time.



When possible, sit down together at the dinner table - the pleasant, decorated, appetizing dinner table. It doesn't have to be formal but the idea is to frame the experience as being positive and enjoyable.



Decide on what the budget allows and - once a week/month/whenever - go to a new restaurant for a fine night out. It doesn't have to be fancy, or structured. But you want everyone to experience something new, or different, and give a night out to the chef(s). In the summer, make it a picnic - again, somewhere of interest.





AND a very important rule: NOBODY brings negatives to the table. NO arguments; NO pressure over money, homework, (un)acceptable friends, etc. Nothing ruins appetite and digestion as quickly and thoroughly as any of those interdicted topic!





When my elder daughter was in secondary school she had an assignment that required the planning & execution of a meal. She did everything, including making a booklet about the experience, highlighted by pictures and punctuated by the post-prandial mess in the sink. It was one of the best meals we enjoyed, bar none.]

Answer 11

When I first met my husband his and our son's habit was to eat in front of the television off their kneew. If they did eat at the kitchen table my son would be whizzing his head around like Linda Blair staring at the television.

My son was 14 and his table manners were atrocious, those of a small child.



I made it a rule that dinner was in the dining room. The table was always laid with a cloth, napkins and everything proper. The television was off and not in that room anyway.



By getting the steady practice every night my son learned to use his napkin properly and have good table manners. As importantly, we formed a habit as a family. Now it is ingrained with all of us. My son is grown up now and is out a lot and we all have busy lives, but whoever is at home for dinner on any night sits down and eats dinner properly together. This is when we talk about our day and just be together. If it were not for this habit we would have grown so far apart with our busy lives.



Anyway, your question. Although I agree that it is immensely valuable for a family's life, you cannot encourage other families to spend more time eating together. Such a move has to come from within the family; at least one person needs to see the value in it. It is already bad manners to read or watch television while eating in company, so that is not an additional incentive.



There is a disturbing modern trend towards wanting to exercise control or influence over things that are outside the scope of our own lives. This question is, I feel an example of it; although doubtless well meant, it is essentially not your problem how other families choose to eat.

Answer 12

In our house we have some time sitting down at the dinner table and also some time off to sit and eat together but watch something on television. This works great for us as not every meal is at the table , though 80% is , and its nice for the children to take the reins now and again and choose to sit more informally.



We have made up our own cheers, and the children really enjoy doing it. Though not every meal includes Daddy as he works later than they should eat at this age, but we make sure that at the weekend , at least once we all sit down and have a meal together , with all the mats cutlery and other stuff that goes with it. We involve the children by asking them to do menus, especially if it is a special meal.



One valentines we all had take away, but the children decorated and laid the table with the nicest things, and we spent a good few hours at the table after the food talking, chatting and laughing i think because every one was so relaxed and proud of what they had achieved.



I also think that there isnt a right or wrong way to do things a bit differently to try to spend more time together, though one thing is not having a television in the room with the dining table, or near it!

Answer 13

I think encouraging families to eat together is a splendid idea. Anyway , since the focus is on how. I suggest the following.



(1) I suggest that the families vote on what they would rather have for a meal , with the emphasis being on a meal that they can prepare within their home . The main reason for saying so , is that the diversity in a family's meal content has to do with the age difference of it's members. On a close observation of some families , you get to find out that it's teenage members food preferences differ from those of the older members.



(2) I also suggest that the families look into their budget and dietary needs and come to a compromise. ie, strike the balance that would suit them most . Like having traditional meals with some modern flavour . The major reason for making this consideration ,will be for the younger family members to eat something more nutritious.



In conclusion , families that eat together are more likely to stay together , even if they eat different things at the same time . The mere action of eating together enhances the bond they share as a family.

Ogee

Answer 14

The practise of a family eating together should evolve from the outset of a couple meeting and living together - long before any children come on the scene. We would all agree at that stage of simple family life it is quite natural for the couple to almost always eat their meals together. Later when the children come along the system is often aloud to break down for the convenience of the individual family members - for so many different distractions not least of all television programmes, games machines and of course computers -, particularly the 'Internet' Unfortunately in this modern age it would be almost impossible to continue in that cosy comfortable homely way. Life is now too fast and although such a shame, we all need to keep up with the pace of modern living. It would be wonderful if only we could carry on as we did in the beginning !

Answer 15

I find that some weeks it is hard for everyone to be together at the same time to eat so sometimes we will say ok Friday we will have a late dinner together and we will all decide on what to have from the starter the main and pudding, and make it like we are out to dinner in a restaurant having a three course meal.

Or sometimes I will say OK Sunday everyone is to be home at a time and I will do the traditional Sunday roast and we are all together, if this fails I will suggest a day in the week that I will do the roast and all are there together.

Answer 16

Give them jobs with less hours and Sundays as national holidays again. Too many people work obscure hours these days and I work until 11:30 at night. Fortunately I don't have children at the moment so it's not too much of a problem but if you really want people to sit down and eat meals together you need first to focus on work conditions. Years ago there were no 24 hour supermarkets and pubs and people all had a Sunday off together. This gave everyone a chance for quality family time at some point.

Answer 17

When I was young my brother and I, along with my parents, ate every single meal at the dining table. There was no tv in the room to distract anyone and we had the chance to talk about how the day had gone.



My brother and I helped prepare things, be that peeling the vegetables or simply laying the table.



To this day (only 7 years after leaving home) I still sit at the dining table to eat my meals, and have pleasant conversations with my boyfriend, or the cats!



The common cry these days is that people don't have enough time to prepare and cook meals from scratch - rubbish! If people learnt the basic cooking skills in school they would be able to knock together a good meal in no time. It takes 25 minutes to make a spaghetti bolognese - that means missing one episode of The Simpsons! If people really don't have enough time they can make larger batches of food at the weekend and freeze them for use during the week. It really isn't rocket science!



I think what I'm trying to say is this the main solution to this problem is: bring back cooking lessons in school (not Food Technology, or whatever they call it these days) so that people know how to cook a basic nutricious meal. This will encourage people to be interested in food again and will result in parents encouraging their children to get involved and be more sociable about their meals.

Answer 18

I would start small with planning only one family meal and seeing how it goes.



I would plan that -



The meal is at a time and date suitable for everyone. You don't want anyone watching the clock or dashing off while everyone else is eating.



Everyone sits at the table because in many families the parents sit in front of the TV and the children take their food to their rooms,



The meal would be something that everyone likes even if it includes preparing different meals to suit everyone. This is to avoid the immediate moaning and groaning that some children do as soon as they are presented with anything that looks too formal. Give them what they want and keep them in a good mood.



No distractions - no TV or mobile phones allowed and switch on the answering machine.



Think of things to talk about before everyone is at the table - not how was your day at school or how much homework have you done but topics that you wouldn't usually discuss as a family - topics outside of everyday routine even if the conversation gets heated but not too hot!



No nagging about table manners and no demanding that the children clear up or stack the dishes.



Treat the whole thing as if you were all out for an enjoyable treat.



If it goes down well everyone might want to do it again.

Answer 19

If all of the family were to contribute to the preparation and setting out/clearing up of the meal, then a greater appreciation of the food and unity of the occasion should happen. It is difficult to get all members of a family to sometimes be in at mealtimes, but it is possible to organise time around each other to eat together as much as possible. The main encouragement is demonstrating a positive example and this inspires people to want to join in. If good food and company is on the table ,all will want to get involved/family and friends. Don't force it as older kids will not have it. Just set an appealing standard so the family will look forward to mealtimes together away from any interruption of TV/other disturbances and ,the chatter and social experience will develop.

Answer 20

Have everyone 'bring a dish':



"Dad you do drinks; Tom you can prepare the starter; me and Mum will do mains and dessert".



Obviously works better with a family that has some knowledge of the kitchen, but even then, parents should be willing to teach they're children (or other halves if need be) about cooking and hygiene and ingredients and so on.



People are more likely to take an interest in the food they've prepared themselves and cooking together - or at least for each other - is such a good thing to do and brings people together, whether they're family or otherwise.

Answer 21

How about encouraging them to cook together in the first place? Parents could be invited into school cookery lessons for specific family lessons on how to cook meals where the workload is shared eg a roast dinner, mum/dad does the meat whilst child peels and prepares potatoes? Although I've always insisted on it anyway, it has been my experience that my children are more excited to eat dinner when they've had a hand in preparing it.



Finally, children need to be aware who is in charge at home. Eating dinner with mum and dad is not a scary thing. Make it a time to catch up on the days events and learn about what you're all doing. If it's a real change of routine, start by introducing it once a week and make it a real event with place settings and napkins etc. You could even send your kids invitations - make them feel as important as they are!!

Answer 22

This question has "Too many"depends upons.

The ages of the family.

What time young children go to bed

What time parent or parents get home from work.

The families favourite TV programme.

It may not be possible to sort this out for everyday of the week. But, I'm sure at least one day the family could sit down for a meal together. Even if it's at a restaurant.

Does this plan include asking Grandparents?

What if after a hard day at work all you want when you get home is a nice quiet dinner. Family dinners aren't alway the quietist time of day.

Nice idea but not always practicle.

What about a home delivery while all the family watch their favourite TV programme.

Answer 23

I believe we should first and foremost understand that the family is the first line of defence. Societies all over the world are getting colder and more impersonal.



At work, in school we are all about hitting targets, getting good results and making money. We are sometimes so carried away with all these that we forget why we got the job in the first place.



So with this background in mind let us place values where they are important and necessary. Our dads and mums should learn that if they considered the family as a unit or team that need to stay together to achieve the goal of preserving and promoting humanity. Personal sentiments must be put aside for the greater good of the society.



Also, as eating is an activity that is carried out daily, parents must see it as a time of debriefing the kids and enjoying fellowship.

They should understand that it may be the happiest memories that the child may carry into adulthood.



Eating together should be seen as an exciting mission of learning, talking and sharing such that it will be looked forward to.

We should all change our mindset and mentality of the old fashioned all-together at the breakfast table and see it as where the foundations of the success, future and safety of our children will be built.



Finally, I believe the best way we can encourage families to eat together is to let them know how much it will do to build a more humane and abuse free society. How much safer our cities and communities will be as a result of this simple but profitable activity.

Answer 24

the demands on our working lives, many shiftworkers, after school activities etc etc mean that the synchronicity required to sit down and eat together, for some families just isn't there even if the desire to do so is.

When my children were young as soon as they came in from school we sat down, sometimes at the table sometimes in the lounge (TV off) had a cup of tea and a cake and debriefed. I could tell if something hadn't gone very well for any of my children that day simply by the way they were. As often as we were able this would later be followed with an evening meal again sat together. As my children grew they would take over the cooking of the meal having learned by getting stuck in or simply watching, many a serious debate took place over the mixing bowl. Being a lone parent my children understood the necessity to make meals from scratch and now having families of their own can still do so when times call for an economy drive.

I am so glad that we bothered to sit together and if everything else that day was awry we always knew we would have that special time together eating, talking and laughing as a the most frugal feast can be.

Unfortunately for more children than is healthy they don't get that time with their parent(s) and have to make do with self-service from breakfast to dinner. The meal together is so much more than the food. The lack of communication, chance to observe the mood, detecting changes in eating habits (anorexia etc) can go undetected and escalate to unreachable levels when left unchecked.

It is a very sad fact of life that we don't place more emphasis on dining together. There's nothing like a family feast!

Answer 25

Maybe the question should be 'why dont families spend more time eating together'. I am not an earth mother, i work as does my husband and our children aged 4-9 & 10 all have busy lives with after school activities. But we sit down together every day for a meal. If one parent cant make it the other will always sit with the children and if both parents are eating later for a specific reason then we will usually sit with the kids and have a drink whilst they eat. On a weekend we alway have lunch and dinner together as a family of 5 on both saturdays and sundays just fitting the mealtimes around activities. Oh and we always sit at the dinning table or kitchen table and there isn't a TV in either of these rooms to distract! We had our children because we wanted to spend time with them not palm them off in front of a TV or video game and I like them (most of the time!) so why wouldn't i want to spend time with them. I just dont 'get' the question!!!

Answer 26

Make each meal an event. Get the whole family involved right from the start - get older kids to help with the cooking, chopping and whatnot, while younger kids can be encouraged to lay out the table. Let them get creative with table cloths, flowers, napkins etc. Put some music on while you're preparing the meal and dance around and play a bit. Learn to make it a fun experience, not just another chore that has to be done. Once at the table, switch off the TV, but keep the music on in the back ground. Chat about your days and anything that comes up. Make sure it's the one time of the day the whole family comes together, bonds and focuses totally on each other.

Answer 27

Ah...if only it was, say, 1976 again!

Then, of course, we saw Tomorrow's World in awe, thinking we would indeed live it easier in thirty years time, but what we have is something else entirely.

Life is not a 9 to 5 thing anymore, and most adults who are working the 24/7 'dream' have suffered big time. And what about their bairns who have been lulled into thinking dinner around the table with telly off and parents asking how their day was matters not to them any more...they have things to do, and a visit to the kebab take away will suffice.

Notice that the only way you'll get wee kids around a table nowadays with their elders is to take them to a TGI Fridays (or even a McDonalds). It may seem harsh, but having a family at home with meat & two veg and thick gravy with the best stock would appear to be over.

Could be this question has been bandied about even in the UK broadsheets for years, but it looks like life has become so quick even before the change of the millennium, that the Sunday meal with meaningful discussion amongst young and old is a memory for anyone over a certain age, and even suggesting families to eat together in 2006 might result in something far different than mature thought

Answer 28

I live alone now, so family meals don't really go on anymore. I always had to eat dinner with my family when I was a child. There was no choice in the matter! It was good though and it did help to keep the family together. I guesse that parents should encourage children to eat at the table (I wasn't aloud to play on the computer or watch tv until I'd had my family meal!). Good food and a regular routine about eating meals are the best things to get people eating together again.

Answer 29

Both myself and my partner work unsocial hours in our daytime jobs - leave the house at 6:30am and return around 5:30pm. We are both members of the local darts teams which takes me out the house Mon & Tues evenings and my partner Tues & Wed evenings, I also work part time Thursday evening and Sunday lunches at my father-in-laws pub and my partner works there Friday evenings.

So you may think I am about to say that "time for the family to sit and have a meal together? WHAT TIME?"

You'd be wrong!

Every evening when we all come in from our day jobs we make an effort to have a proper meal - by proper meal I mean something healthy, nutritious, and enjoyable by ALL.

We take it in turns to cook, we all muck in to do the washing up depending on who's cooked the rest wash-up.

Don't get me wrong we don't have 3-course meals every night, we enjoy a variety of foods including pastas, stir-frys, meat and veg, etc. We occassionally have convenience foods i.e. pizza's, burgers, etc but these are usually cooked at home and accompanied with side salads, etc.

We enjoy sitting down to a meal as a family - unfortunately we don't have room for a dining room due to the size of the property, but we all sit in the living room and eat together.

On Saturdays we do visit my mothers were we have a sit-down meal with other members of the family and there is always discussion / conversations taking place at the table.



Family meals should be enjoyed - they should be a pleasure not a chore. To often convenience foods, ready-meals take the place of healthy, nutricious foods. Quiet often the meals we produce take less time to make than that of a ready meal - the only difference is WE KNOW WHAT'S GONE INTO IT!!!!!



Maybe, if people saw TV programmes where families sat down to a meal together instead of being in public houses this would encourage families to eat together more!

The government could back a FAMILIES EATING TOGETHER project the same as it has with the healthier school meals.



But the only people who can encourage families to eat together are the family members themselves.

Answer 30

I am a granny (60yrs old) and was brought up with all eating together, (and had to ask permission to leave the table). When I had my children they always had to sit at the table for meals (and ask the above permission) so was no problem in the tradition being kept up: It was just the done thing . Now-a-days, unfortunately, everyones 'businesses' has different eating times so can not always be arranged to be together. I still serve dinner at 6pm at a table and children and grandchildren (teenagers) are always welcome. They often arrive (with boy/girl friends sometimes) but never ask about having TV on etc. just glad to converse. So it all depends on upbringing. Get together when ever possible and try to instill in the youngsters the enjoyment so that it is carried forward to the next generation.

As a by answer, I still have all the family to my house at Christmas and I still have a family tradition that the TV is turned off at 6pm Christmas Eve and not turned on again until the day after Boxing day. Never had any complaints, we play games, talk, walk etc. Kids love it.

Answer 31

the dining room. The table was always laid with a cloth, napkins and everything proper. The television was off and not in that room anyway.



By getting the steady practice every night my son learned to use his napkin properly and have good table manners. As importantly, we formed a habit as a family. Now it is ingrained with all of us. My son is grown up now and is out a lot and we all have busy lives, but whoever is at home for dinner on any night sits down and eats dinner properly together. This is when we talk about our day and just be together. If it were not for this habit we would have grown so far apart with our busy lives.

Answer 32

We need a massive publicity campaign with the government, several big companies, TV ,radio stations and popular magazines all working together on this.



It will be essential to get really cool celebrities on board, that young people admire, so as to make the whole idea cool; like it was with Bob Geldof, Bono and other rock stars with Live Aid, and Make Poverty History.



It won't work with a top down approach ( getting parents of children and teenagers to lead it) ; we need a bottom up approach ( getting the children to feel as if they are leading this and getting their parents and grandparents to buck their ideas up!).



The advertising could create a message similar to the one in L'Oreal's 'because I'm worth it' campaign. The images could be of a family shown eating together in designer furnished and decorated dining rooms, with cool music in the background as in a restaurant, taking their time and looking relaxed, wearing cool clothing, while the family next door are shown in a state of chaos in bad clothes, bad hair, with a crap old fashioned TV in the corner and the kids screaming and parents shouting.



Whereas I think it may not be the quality of the cooking that is the crucial element here, it may help for someone to do some research into what meals young people like best.

Answer 33

Just to get the family together is hard enough so it a case of setting a time and to get everyone to abide by it. Switch off the television too as too many kids sit with their backs to their parents and are more interested in what programme is on the box. Make sure everyone sits at a table not with trays on their laps, if that's not possible at least sit in the same room and have a meal that everyone will enjoy and it will be ready at the same time, not different meals for different family members as each person could be sitting down to eat at different times which doesn't help.

Answer 34

By having more public holidays where shops are not allowed to open. The Bank holiday was designed so everyone could have some time off now and again. Now all the retaillers target these holidays to launch their sales so parents and children are all our shopping for a bargain, rather than spending quality time together doing other things.



By promoting more in the media, music and television would be another way.



Everything else (usually negative) which has contributed to less time-spending within families has come from there. What people see in music videos (skimpy clothes) or what they see in films (cool rebelious characters who prefer to spend time getting drunk etc with friends that with their families) is what people try to immitate.

Answer 35

Very good question in today's world! It all depends on the values with which children have been brought up in a family. From the very young age, a child needs to be told that the family values the dinner time - one meal in the day, when the entire family is together at the dinner table, when they can not only eat together, but also exchange notes on the happenings of the day or discuss important family matters. A child needs to be told about the importance of family togetherness.



When a child grows up in such an environment, it becomes a habit and when he/she grows up and has his/her own family, the same practice is extended in the new family.



Of course, in today's world this also depends on the working parents. If they expect their children to eat together at the dinner table, they should also follow the same practice and ensure that they are available on the dinner table.

Answer 36

I think TIME is a big issue here.



When I was younger and living at home with my parents, most of the time my mum was either a) not working or b) working part-time.



We ALWAYS had breakfast in the kitchen - although this was often a bit of a rushed affair due to dad having to dash off to work and us girls getting ready for school.



Evening meals were hit and miss too because dad worked hard and long hours so most of the time did not get home for tea - but mum, my sister and I ate together most days.



Weekends: ALL BEFORE THE 24/7 CULTURE CAME INTO BEING!!!



We generally ate a meal all together on Saturday evening and also Sunday lunch. Both these meals were served in the dining room and the table was laid and NOTHING interrupted. No phone calls, no visitors, no text messages, definitely NO T.V.



Sundays were quite boring days in many respects - if I wanted to see my friends, this had been pre-arranged and was only for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.



Sundays were "different". We spent time with our families. We did not have mobile phones interrupting everyone every couple of minutes.



Many mums are now working full time and there is a totally different culture where we want EVERYTHING and we want it NOW! Without taking a small step back to appreciate family values, peace and quiet and tradition, this is not going to happen.



I think it is very sad - we are all TOO busy for one another and those closest to us so much of the time.

Answer 37

In modern society getting the whole family together for a meal presents all sorts of problems with working patterns, school times etc,etc, so maybe Sunday lunch is the answer. It doesnt have to be traditional try a themed lunch, try having a spanish day or American or German etc. Recipes and ideas are not hard to find, bbc food for example, and a lot are inexpensive too. Failing Sunday try supper nights 8 or 9 pm is not too late so why not a Mexican night or a vege night or even vegan !! (if you don't particularly like eating ) get the kids to help out and perhaps dress up for the theme.

Getting the whole family around the table with good food coupled with a sense of fun can be a joy and we should all encourage it.

Answer 38

I am all for having a set meal with my family however this is not always possible due to my work, the kids doing some activities (swimming lessons, dance etc) or my wife working.



I love to cook using fresh ingredients but if there is a time issue then the microwave version can seem a better option.



Also, the cost of the processed food can be less than the individual ingredients to make it fresh.



My idea would be to bring down the cost of fresh fruit and veg to allow people to buy more. Then make a law that all people with kids can leave work to be home by 6 to allow a decent sit down time for a meal.



Does a sit down meal give better health? It is a fact of society today that there are much more strains pressed on our time that people don't sit down for a meal because of this. Until this happens then a meal on the go will always be an option.



One other thought, why not give a voucher to parents to visit a preset place (village hall etc) where the food is guaranteed to be fresh for them to sit down. Cooked by someone else I know but it is still sit down time.



There are so many variable in this that I don't think there is one viable answer.

Answer 39

There should be a leader:) - someone, who takes family dinners seriously and makes them happen - makes the dinner or calls the family to help, gives out tasks, announces that "table is ready". In my family it is me - the mother. How it started? First it was just me and my husband - we would sit together over the dinners I was learning to cook and discuss our day. Then the kids appeared and nothing changed - there were simply more people at the table. Because of school and work we can now only do it in the evening, when we are all (or most of us) home. We don't necessarily switch off the TV - we watch and discuss together. If there's nothing we all agree to watch - we simply take the noise away. We don't have a fixed time for eating dinner - this is difficult, as we sometimes get home at different times; and I cannot cook a fabulous dinner each time - I also work. But sitting together around the laid table has never been questioned, because we've always been doing it.

Answer 40

4. Decide upon foods everyone likes, or foods that no one has tried before in order to add variation and entice people to the table. For example, fajitas are well liked by loads of people because you can stuff them with anything, so there can be a variety and everyone will eat something. Shepherds pie is another example, I know someone who puts baked beans in theirs and it still tastes good. Seafood risotto, roasted artichoke with dips, an exotic fruit salad (dragonfruit, starfruit, pineapple, papaya, lychee, etc) or even a home made Chinese are all examples of foods rarely attempted at home.



5. Get families to spice up what they eat. Eat less chips, in fact don't even stock them, and try new things. Instead of rice, use cous cous, or on a salad, add some croutons. Buy a bottle of salad dressing and give it a whirl. Don't just go to Tesco or Sainsbury for food and don't buy the same junk two weeks running. Try farmers markets for food or a butchers for something with more meat and less fat on.



In essence, families need to find time for each other and step a

Answer 41

How about a national campaign to encourage restaurants to have half-price days specifically for families. Most families would probably like to eat out together more often but cost often makes it prohibitive.

If this was something that could be maintained over a period of time it could encourage families to set aside even just one day a week to spend time together eating good food. The advantage of something like this is that no one has to spend time in the kitchen cooking. I'm a single dad/widower and do all the cooking for my 2 daughters 24/7 and although do sit down together to eat on many occasions it would be nice to be able to go out more often than we do and let someone else cook for a change.



If this was something different restaurants, serving different types of food could be encouraged to do then it might get families trying different things. Eating out in places because of the quality of the food rather than what's affordable.

Answer 42

I think one way would be to get fun activities going at dinner. I know that my family used to do little games, like trivia or something similar. And, even simpler than that, you can just have good conversations. I know this can be kind of hard to do, especially with teenagers. But, maybe have a few discussion topics in mind. And, don't try to be too overbearing in the conversations. Include some things that they might be interested, like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie or sports teams. And, for younger children, you could ask them what happened on Spongebob that day. But, just these things alone won't do the trick. You can't force kids to eat with you, and it's not necessary to bribe them to do so. Just find out what would make them interested in it. Like, what do they want to eat or for dessert. It could also help to make a family night of it. I know where I live, almost every family has Monday Night Family Night. They play board games or go bowling or something like that. If they're already having fun with you, then they won't mind taking some time to eat with their parents. Anyway, these are just my opinions and I hope they helped answer the question!

Answer 43

These days it is a question of time priorities. Many people didn't grow up with family gathered around the table for dinner, talking, laughing and catching up on each other. Many because with two working parents it was easier to bring home dinner in a paper sack and eat watching TV. Because of this they don't understand the togetherness and connectedness it can bring. They don't understand that families that have the connectedness are stronger. It's a case of not missing what you never had.

One way to promote this is to invite friends to join your family for a meal. They can see the love and family sharing in a shared meal with no distractions. Then if they express interest help them understand the dynamics. No TV, radio, phone calls, just family talking,laughing , and learning about one another.

Most people I know once they experience it want to do it again, but you have to get to the parents as they are the ones to make it happen. They are the ones with the power to prioritise time in a family.

Answer 44

Let everyone know when the meal time is so no one is missing their favourite TV show. Turn off the television, put some music on instead. Maybe children could take it in turns to decide what everybody listens to. Get the kids involved, younger ones can help set the table and older ones can help prepare the food. Serve the meal at the same time, including toddlers in high chairs, so everyone feels involved, and try putting food out in bowls for people to help themselves rather than dishing it up for them in the kitchen. Lead by example by taking plenty of vegetables. Nobody leaves the table until everybody is finished. Don't used dinnertime to tell children off, use it to socialise and communicate with your family. In conclusion, we can encourage families to spend more time eating together by turning OFF the TV and all sitting up at a table, don't allow children to eat in front of the TV more than a couple of times a week. For most families, dinner time is the only social time there is.

Answer 45

Because of the world we live in today where people have to work more, and children want to socalise more (growing up too quickly, getting drunk etc) not many people find the time to do this...most kids would ask why eating together is such a big deal...my family sit down only once a week but it always ends up in an argument so I stopped and started going out on a Sunday instead and then conflict is eliminated and it never did me any harm...maybe you should look at the reasons WHY family's don't sit and eat together to be able to encourage them, hope this helps

Answer 46

Families have so little time these days, so it can be quiet tricky. For families is to make commitment, for instants to be free from all there worldly chores on sunday. This would bring the whole family together to eat together and maybe share what has been happening during the week. Lifestyle changes aare the main fact. I for one look forward to sitting down to eat with the family, so i can listen to each of children tell me about what has happenend at school, or dicuss other topics.



When cooking a meal for the family, it can be quiet stressful, trying to cater for everyones individual needs.



Resturants could encourage families by offering special meals catering just for familes. Taking in mind age, and budget, also occassion, these packages could help families to get together.



Taking the stress out of the getting family together to eat could be a solution but not for everyone.



There is the work hours, students away from,family disputes, sick family members, greive etc.



In the past families did have meals together, but the sad creation of fast foods, ready meals have taken over, meals can be taken at anytime and any where.



Get rid of ready meal, and fast foods and todays lfestyle then we would return to traditional cooked meals, bring family together.

Answer 47

Well, we have one night a week where no matter what, that night is FAMILY NIGHT and we spend it TOGETHER. We eat dinner, we play a board game, do homework, read, etc.



Having dinner together is very crucial. It's the only time of day you get together as a family and get a chance to talk. If you don't do this on a regular basis, you're not really a "family" but a bunch of people just passing by one another.



Many skills are learned at the dinner table, manners, respect, listen skills, debating skills, joking and laughing but most of all it teaches the children that around the table, we are ONE UNIT, and one night a week at the very least we make sure we spend more than just a dinner together.

Answer 48

We're lucky enough to have a seperate room for eating, and we cleverly avoided putting a tv in it. That way we not only eat together, we even talk between mouthfuls. We do allow the children to have some meals at the coffee table in front of the tv from time to time, but it's a treat, not the norm, and usually a sandwich meal not the main meal of the day. We've been appalled at the manners shown by visiting children, kids of five and six who've obviously never used a knife and fork before, or who can't sit at the table for the whole meal without jumping up and running around. We eat at the table because my wife and I decided we would, and the kids do because we tell them to. We don't do it because the government or the Health Service, or some jumped up cook says it would be a good idea. It's manners, upbringing and education.

Answer 49

It has got to be a habit to eat together... I am in my late 30's and as a child - until I left home - every evening we sat at the table. We ate the same food and chatted about the day -



I think one way to persuade the kids it is a good thing to do is maybe incorporate it into the kids TV shows... Unfortunately I would like to think kids don't watch too much telly but they do - so if the programme makers showed people sitting around enjoying a family meal - like the tweenies having a dinner table or something...



Maybe then kids wouldn't object. I think it is good to encourage the family to get involved in food making too... Crikey - even if it is just how to work the microwave!! I think we all have to take time out for meals and make the most of this time of day!

Answer 50

Set a meal time for early evening that the whole family can be in attendance for. As a family all sit down together and work out a menu for the whole week that all the family would eat. Give each child the opportunity to have their favourite meal one night of the week and actively encourage healthier options. Place a rota in the kitchen so the children and the parents can see what is for the evening meal and what time the meal is set for. Turn the evening meal in a time when parents and children can discuss their day. Ensure that kids have their homework done or are in from seeing their friends at the said time and that dad is in from work (if you are a two parent family) and get everyone in to a routine of eating at the same time. Stop feeding kids in front of the telly and allowing them to dictate what they want to eat as as a mother you can be preparing and cooking three different meals to suit every bodies taste. Actively encourage the children to help prepare the meals or lay the table and to assist with the washing up after. Make the whole experience family orientated and fun.

Answer 51

Each family has the different love for each other.When you get the family,you are between the dad's love and the mother's care,how sweet your parents's love is.And that is the why you can spend more time eating together after work,you can turn off your TV that time and sit down to tell anything you do or see today.Everyone in the family can share anything interest that they do or see all that day.And now, that is the way you can encourage your family to spend more time eating together:share your intersting things and you can tell some jokes to make them happy but not too much(it can annoy them).So that time,you made a great family for you to live in this life.

Answer 52

Make meal times fun. The adults may prefer a sensible adult meal but fun doesn't have to mean lacking manners. Get the kids to join in with the cooking and get them suggesting things they would like to try. Have theme nights with food from around the world and really make a point of everyone looking forward to dinner. Meal times shouldn't be boring, children should be taught correct manners and etiquette but not in a way that makes them want to rebel. Integrate it into dinner times. If you are having a theme from a different country, how about eating the way these people eat for example chop sticks? I think this would really get families enjoying meal times together. The food doesn't have to be expensive or difficult to prepare, just as long as it is healthy and enjoyable. People may even find lots of new things they like!

Answer 53

I find that some weeks it is hard for everyone to be together at the same time to eat so sometimes we will say ok Friday we will have a late dinner together and we will all decide on what to have from the starter the main and pudding, and make it like we are out to dinner in a restaurant having a three course meal.

Answer 54

As a teacher you can tell which parents do spend time with their children and those who don't. I think sitting eating together is very important - we still do it in our house. It not only helps with communication skills but it is important to find out what everyone has been doing during the day.

It is important to start eating together at a young age and continue doing this as it will become the norm for children. Also, get them involved in the cooking and choosing what they would like to eat!

Answer 55

My wife and I take time for each other every evening. and at least twice a week have a good meal we both prepare. and switch off everything, except the lights if needed, and ask friends over once a month and the same rule applies no phones. We and they just love it, and when the greater family is together a meal can last for hours, since we have to travel 700 plus kilometres and the others up to 100. We enjoy talking, not even in the same language, English and German is mixed. But the love is Universal

Answer 56

Table signifies the last supper that Jesus had along with 12 disciples which highlights the meal along with one another as one family. Thus this concept was followed where the entire family members gathered at the table had their meal discussed lot of things, shared their problems, their joys etc which is not seen now. Now TV is God. All went near the tele with their plates and sat in front of the tel with one hand in the plate and the eyes and mouth wide opened before the tel without even knowing are the eating the meal or the fallen cockroach. This is today's life. As it is said do right things at the right time it is better to have the family meal together at the table

Answer 57

These days, eating together as a family is seen as a chore. However, what people do not understand, is that it could be quite enjoyable. We must remember that in this face paced world, It will be difficult to force the habit onto families overnight. If it were my family in this situation, I will choose one day of the week (most probably Sunday), and plan a family meal. I suppose if you get the kids involved in the cooking, they will acheive a sense of pride as well. So, I would suggest allowing everyone to help out in the kitchen when preparing meals. Its a lot more fun that way!

Answer 58

Make one day 'family day'. Ours is a sunday and everyone has to be home in time for lunch and tea on that day. Turn off the TV, put on some music and sit at the table for at least one of the meals. We have our Sunday lunch at the table and our tea in the lounge whilst watching a DVD. The rest of the week is more difficult as work and school means we are not all in at the same time but we do try.



Everyone should have at least one day (or if you can't manage a whole day, one meal) together every week. Once everyone is used to the new rule it starts to happen without reminding the kids to be in at a certain time.



Good luck all, it is quite tricky to start with.

Answer 59

By setting a dinner time - in the beginning once or twice a week - lets say a Sunday (traditionally) and one day in the week and make it fun - remove all of the inhibitors for children such as you have to eat with your Knife and Fork - it would be nice, but if it is finger food -eat with your fingers - Or maybe theme nights - like a Chinese night or a Curry night - but the point is that it is all served at the dinner table. Start doing it - with no pressure and you will find kids and people will conform



By the way - don't try serving dinner when someone's favourite program is on - you will be doomed to failure!!!

Answer 60

It's not possible if household members work shifts. A lot of parents are ships that pass in the night. As "dad" comes home, mum goes out on the twilight shift. Weekends are premium overtime rates.

As they say over in the States "Go figure"......

Have you seen that some kids can't even use cutlery properly, let alone know anything about table manners?

Some people don't even have the space for a dining room table.

Let's get real here.

Has another celebrity forgotten the impoverished masses who'd rather spend their money on Sky, booze and fags??

Answer 61

Once a week, every member of the family should make an effort to spend at least time for an evening meal together with their families. A positive way to do this might be to get the family to choose what they would like for that particular meal, and take a vote for the preferred meal, and then continue to do the weekly eating together, and in turn, letting each member of the family chosse a portion they would like, in this way, it should encourage families to put aside an evening for eating together, and also eating something they enjoy eating , together.

Answer 62

Make the meal time more interesting. Have fun foods like wraps and tacos. Something that the whole family can help prepare.

With tortilla wraps it's a good idea to leave everything in bowls in the middle of the table and let everyone create their own.

Turn off the tv and the radio. They act as distractions. This way you can start a conversation that involves everyone. I find that sharing stories from the past is an excellent way of getting everyone involved.

You have to make meals fun. Share food, jokes, stories etc.

Answer 63

families would eat together if the working day for the parents were reduced. Or local pay was on par with city pay. These days parents have no choice but to work long hours just to put a roof over their families' head. It is not a good idea for a child to be eating anything just before bedtime. So they do the next best thing and get a childminder to feed them a proper meal. Sorry but we are not all rich enough to stay at home with our kids as much as we would like too.

Answer 64

Why not try getting the whole family involved in deciding what to eat, and how to cook it? Make up your own recipe's, but try to use only fresh produce, not just a combination of tins.



Cooking is great fun, and I think the whole family should be encouraged to learn cooking skills, young and old.



I feel we should teach our children from an early age, all the different varieties of food that are available, and that preparing a good nutritional meal can be fun, very satisfying, and good for our health.



If all family members are involved with the cooking and preparation of a meal, then I'm sure they will enjoy sitting together around the table to enjoy, and even boast, "I did that"



Enjoy food. It is the thing that keeps us alive after all!

Answer 65

The issue is that some parents do not realise the importance of spending a meal together at least once a day.



It is also a problem that in England and Ireland food is not treated with the same respect as in Europe. In particular the French - after all French is the language of the Kitchens everywhere.



To really resolve this you would have to start educating children in school. You can't change the current generations attitude. You can change children's minds easily by exposing them to good food. Teaching them how to cook good food in secondary school and not treat cooking as a secondary subject for people who can't succeed in more academic areas.



Culinary skills are life skills. Cooking is an art form. Schools would need to recognise this and teach it.



It's not the easiest answer but if people loved food they would appreciate spending time with it.



The by-product would then be a generation of food loving people who would of course WANT to share something so enjoyable with their children.

Answer 66

I think making sure you have a proper place for everyone to sit down to dinner is the first step. Secondly the TV should not be on.



Make dinner together, get the kids to help out with the preperation so that it becomes a routine. Making sure you take the time to sit for an hour and so and enjoy your food, I think lots of people eat to quickly and hence to much as well. If you enjoy every meal like if you where in a restaurant it will make it more enjoyable for everyone.



I also think it's important to try new recepies, be versitlie, have fun, let the kids choose a recipe at times or get som ingredients and let them do the pudding on the weekend.

Answer 67

Make sure you have a good sized table to sit at so that the whole family can sit round, turn off the television.

I now live in France & every house Ive been to here, they all have great big dinner tables it seems to be the main feature in there house over here, not the sofa & television, here on the telly they do not have soaps in the evenings because they don't want it, they would rather sit at the table with the family, don't get me wrong a lot of English are like this too, and im sure not all the french are like this, i was brought up to sit at the table. I think it would help for some of the english soaps to finish as people are in a rush to watch these programes! LOOK JUST TURN THE TELLY OFF! your wasting your lives away with it, live in the really world!

Answer 68

The first priority is to show that eating is about much more than consuming food. Try involving kids in the preparation of the meal, including the shopping etc. This will ensure that they won't be stuck to the tv or computer screen when finally called to the table. Inviting friends and relatives on a regular basis also helps. Kids will enjoy being at the table with their friends, particularly if the atmosphere is informal and fun. The promise of a good heart-stopper of a pudding will ensure their attention to the end.

Adults have to participate fully too!!!!

Once the habit is established, young people will soon see that eating together brings many more benefits than good food.

Answer 69

It's a fact that we live in an age where there are so many entertainments running side by side very few people do anything together in the same room. The only way to encourage people to spend more time together is to offer them an incentive; This obviously doesn't have to be financial, what we could do is have a form of entertainment that is available at meal times and can be enjoyed around a table. Perhaps a dining table with an interactive quiz machine built in to it, or a TV set in the middle. Or alternatively the actual food itself could be the thing that encourages people. By subsidising basic foodstuffs, like potato and vegetables which would encourage people to cook more family type meals.

Answer 70

Should the question not be 'why should we encourage families to spend more time eating together?' I feel that this is a latest trendy chef thing, like Jamie Oliver's school dinners. Eating is as important as sleeping and cleaning ourselves which if you look back through the ages, apes especially, sleeping together and cleaning each other is a very social thing yet no one is crying out that we should all shower together or sleep together. I appreciate that families should talk but feel that it shouldn't be a pressured thing like 'right its now eating time, everything will stop and we will sit down together' I feel this only adds pressure to speak and causes stress and in most cases arguments. So no, I don't feel we should encourage more people to spend time eating together, merely encourage communication at whatever level works best. After all, you can't talk when your mouth's full.

Answer 71

1. Bigger tables in restaurants.

2. Banquet specials in the local pub.

3. Close down the pubs and make them eat at home....

4. Banquet specials for extended families in restaurants.

5. Better food in restaurants and pubs.

6. Promote a new style of eating outside - to replace the barbecue - like a picnic or something.

7. Close Burger King and MacDonalds.

8. Poduce processed foods that are healthy and can be microwaved fast to feed a family.

9. Give me top answer this is good stuff - especially the extended family banquet in restaurants - there is even a load of money in that idea.

Answer 72

Families could be encouraged to spend more time eating together by introducing a few simple family rules and these would be even more effective if children were brought up from birth with these rules:

1. Set mealtimes within a narrow range but negotiable.

2. No TV at these times

3. Family members expected to make themselves available at

these times

4. Meals served at a table and not on trays.

Answer 73

Spend less time sitting at the dinner table and more time sitting on the floor in a round circle. Proceed with a short prayer of gratefulness to god for giving the food that you eat. Proceed this continuously for 40 days and you will discover a balance in the mind which all your family will flourish with happiness. You will discover the uncomfortably at the start, because no one would be used to the idea, but eventually the ego will settle and the sharing will begin.

Answer 74

When I was growing up we always sat around the table in the dining room to eat. I was just something we always did and it never crossed our mind to eat in in front of the TV. We didn't get a choice either as to what we had. My mother made a meal for us and we all ate it.

I don't know how you get back to this kind of situation but it is in my opinion an indication of the falling standards of discipline in the home as well as the nations obsession with staring at the TV. It could also be down to the fact that more and more both parents are working so don't have time to cook a meal for the family in the evening. My mother gave up work to raise children so that was never an issue for us and by the time she went back to work we were old enough to take on our fair share of the cooking.



I suspect the answer is you can't unless you managed to convert the UK to more of a continental culture where eating is a much more of a social occasion. Oh I know. Stop TV stations broadcasting between certain hours. That should do it.

Answer 75

Not sure if i am naive or something but it was only recently that i realised that families dont share at least 1 meal a day together. I have 2 children, 1 a teenager (still at home) and 1 in her mid 20's, married and with a child. When both my girls were at home, we always had our eve meal together, we would chat about our day, how school was, work was, etc. This was a time for each of us to hear about the others. Problems were shared and often sorted out at meal times. We had laughter at things that happened during the day and also sometimes sadness, but the important thing was that we all shared these experiences, thus i think, making us closer, more understanding of each other etc. I have 1 teenager at home who is at uni, and obviously we cannot share a meal every evening but i would say we do about 4/5 times a week and we all get together for a sunday lunch most weekends. Now to yr question, how to encourage families, i think if parents, from a child's early age, all sit down together at meal times, then the child grows up not knowing anything different, so therefore the question shouldn't come up surely.

Answer 76

I don't give my family a choice. Whoever is home at our house eats meals together(mostly supper because of work and school schedules). It's been a tradition in our family since before I can remember. We all sit at the dinner table and talk about how our day went and what's new in our lives. I like trying out new recipes so I make something every night,sometimes it's a hit and sometimes it's not. We live and learn. If we don't like it we don't keep the recipe.

A lot of people have lost the family ideals. Everyone kind of does there own thing anymore with kids having TVs in their rooms everyone goes their separate ways to watch their own programs just to keep the kids happy. I think this has to be taught to the children. If the parents don't teach them that this should be a priority they will never learn unless they marry someone that makes it a priority.

I really hope that my kids take this tradition into their own families when the time comes. It's a good way to keep in touch.

Answer 77

By making home cooked meals which will fill the house with aroma which in turn will heighten the appetites and cause the family to not want to wait to eat! Stay away from take-aways! Make the meal interesting and preferably NOT in a timeslot with anybody's favourite TV programme. TV is addictive like any drug - so there should be weaning from these programmes first before one can expect a really good sitdown dinner with the family.

Answer 78

Just like scheduling a dedicated time to do homework, a family should attempt to find a couple times a week to sit down together. Preparing meals in advance as well as taking a genuine interest in the day to day activities of family members makes for a better dining experience and a more enjoyable time together.

Answer 79

Turn the television off -

Create a designated eating area- somewhere everyone MUST go to eat which is quiet, no one leaves till everyone has finished.

Have a set time fot your evening meal and have a set day at least a couple of times a week when every one MUST attend the meal - i know it sounds prescriptive but if the younger members are encouraged to cook at east one bit of the meal - even if it's only jelly it will give them a stake in the event and they will be keen - it works!

Answer 80

My mother didn't have to work. She used to have a freshly prepared meal ready for us when we got home. My mother had some strict rules. We all had to sit at the table. We were not allowed to watch television while eating. When we wanted to leave the table we asked to be excused. We all talked to each other and every Sunday mother did a roast dinner which we all looked forward to.



A lot of families nowadays don't even have a table to sit at. They sit and eat with plates probably balanced on their knees watching the television.



Even if you work you can easily prepare fresh meals within twenty minutes



Much healthier, much nicer and cheaper than ready meals. The programme Ready Steady Cook has proved you can do it in the time I suggest.

.

I suggest more people invest in a dining table. Television to be banned while eating.

Answer 81

I think the only way to do this is to have someone (or several) famous celebs and politicians spearhead a campaign to encourage family dinners. The ideal leader would be Jamie Oliver, who has already done so much for school dinners. If jamie could offer more easy recipes using widely available and inexpensive ingredients it would help working parents to provide family meals and that special time together, the lack of which is helping to erode British values.

Answer 82

encourage all of the family members to take part in the planning and preparation of the meals. have a few guidelines such as it must include 3 vegies, or 3 different colours etc.

perhaps get family members to write down on a couple of pieces of paper a few meals and deserts from chosen recipe books or family favourites and do a family lottery at the beginning of each week. that way there is a weeks worth of dinners planned and it will encourage participation and excitement.

get the whole family to go shopping together. have a separate list for each person. for smaller children walk around with them with pictures drawn of the ingredients they have to find.

share all the tasks on a rota. someone sets the table, someone reads ingredients/collect ingredients from fridge and shelves, some peel etc..

play some nice music (or a different person plays dj for each evening meal), maybe put out some special candles etc.. make it an event rather than just a rush to get it down and run off again.

get some nice table settings and set the table specially for each meal to make it know that dinner time is a special family time.

always let the kids know how much you appreciate the time spent together with them. let them know how important it is to you.

Answer 83

as a child i used to absolutely dread family meal times. it meant my dad dictating to me what i should be eating. at the age of seven (40 years ago now) i realized where meat came from and it repulsed me. i did not want to eat it and this meant a battle of wills between my father and myself. he was obviously concerned for my health and well being and was of a generation where vegetarianism was unheard of. there weren't the alternatives back then that there are now.

however i am now approaching 50 and have had three healthy children. my 2 boys are over 6ft and my daughter is a gorgeous healthy young woman.

i myself am a healthy size 10/12. i recently had an eye test and my sight is still perfect. i have good health and have bundles of energy working with pre school children.

i adopted a very low key attitude towards meal times when my children were growing up and never made food an issue.

not to say we didn't have family time round the dining table but it was more likely to be spent playing board games than focusing on our fuel intake.

so why the need to eat together when there is a vast number of other more exciting/important things we could do as a family around the table.

it is just another area for young girls in particular to make food an obsession leading to eating dis-orders.

Answer 84

In my family, when I was child, the evening meal was always at the table and my Mum and Dad always told you about their day and asked about yours. We all helped to prepare the meals and my Sister and I were allowed to pick a meal per week for the whole family to eat, Mum and Dad did the rest. We were encouraged to pick ingredients for the meal too when we went shopping, this meant ingredient experimentation sometimes!

We also did the Thursday "make up meal" which was a pick of what was available in the house the day before the weekly shop and inventing a meal, much like they do on ready steady cook.

We learned to cook, converse, plan meals etc.

I have fond memories of the quality food and quality time I spent with my family back in those days, everything we did back then would be doable today for a modern family. Eating together is so important, look at the fun a meal in a restaurant can be? We also talk a lot these days of maintaining our age old cultures, this has to be one of the most important and it is so easy to keep it going! My Mum and Dad made it special and fun and so I never felt aggrieved about joining them, even in my teenage years. It was always a highlight of the day!

Answer 85

In today's society no matter how hard we work and socialise we have families and it is important to maintain something that is shared together and feeding time is great, no matter you hours of work or school hours or social hours you need to set aside this time and make the most of it, all family is to attend and even help with the prep and the cooking and the organising of the table etc, even little participation give quality time together to talk, laugh and be a family. Even if its once a week it helps.

Answer 86

Get the whole family to help with the preperation of the meal, encourage younger children to maybe set the table, older children to suggest what could be for dinner. When in the supermarket encourage the kids to choose the veg and fruit. Encourage the whole family to help in the prep of spuds and veg etc (including dad) When you all sit down talk to each other, dont just have adult conversation that the kids can`t join in. Ask them about their day and talk about what we could do at the weekend etc. In other words just encourage the whole family to get involved and just watch the burden being lifted from mums shoulders

Answer 87

Our society is divided into three

1:) foodies - know what is good and love to eat - have a great interest in all foods - love to try to recreate meals in own kitchen

- there children will experience many different styles and tsstes in dishes served to them at good restaurants and in the home

- again sitting around the table enjoying good food and learning why a meal shared around a table is fun.



2>) the busy foodie parent know all of the above is true but is too busy working on their career to feed kids real home cooked stuff so rely in ready meals from the 'superior' supermarket chains - kids never see mum or dad creating a meal just

hurling food in the microwave



3.) The lazy parent - instant noodles, chicken nuggets, oven chips, convenience food all served to junior because as they say

' he/she wont eat anything else' or 'Oh I have tried cooking all sorts of things but they will not eat it - they just refuse and continue to watch TV' - note NO real home cooking - No sitting around a table from a veryyoung age learning good eating habits from parents and missing out on that time of day when sharing a meal together incorporates good conversation about the day they

all had etc.



My conclusion: Get kids back into the kitchens at schools to teach them thata good meal can be both nutritious, apetising and

cheap to make - if you have truly cooked the meal YOU will want

the family gathered around the table to eat your creation - the conversation will fklow naturally and before you know it everyone is having a great time - debating topics of the day, catching up on gossip an learning that a good meal is also a great time to socialise. but hey Im an older mum who was taught at her mums knee that cooking was fun and sharing the results with the family was a great social occassion.

Answer 88

Try starting a heathly eating club at the kids schools. Make sure that all the familly take heathly food to work / school and do not break under pressure to call in at fast food outlets on the way home by any member of the family. Try putting together a menu at the weekend and involve everyone in the shopping, preparing and cooking. THEY WILL LOVE IT as it gives them a sense and feeling of pride and ownership

Answer 89

Being a single parent working until 5pm every day I try to fit in an eating plan with my 13 and 10 years old Boys, however, my problem revolves around Schooling and the homework that is set that has to be taken into account each weekday evening; this therefore leaves very little time to be able to sit at a table to discuss the meal, days events, new topics etc. this has been a concern of mine for a few years now.............. albeit that I do try to take the time on Weekends to make up for it! Perhaps schooling events should be looked at to assist with this topic?

Answer 90

A difficult question, especially in ur current fast world, fueled by fast food, that runs away with the notion of families eating together.



In addition to being difficult, it's also a big question, in so much as famlies do not only not eat together, few nowdays stay together, and with the guts and foundation of family ripped out and apart, a return to better times seems further away each day.



Perhaps it can start with friends, those with children, having sunday lunch together, and I don't mean down the pub, but rather aat home, with friends and families mixing and with children seeing this as the norm.



Going back just 8 to 10 years,it was fairly normal to have student or ex student friends arond, dinner and wine, or lunch and wine, that too has ended up in at McDonalds.



The trend from home to McDonalds, has quickened, and with so many parents and teenagers ending up at McDonalds or Kunkucky something or other, the bad trend towards fast food as opposed to family dinners is running away with a decent and healthy tradition.



While there is choice, and the case should be, the voices out there for good food are far outweighted by the advertising, pushing crap, on television, hoardings, radio and cinema, with central and local Government too reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.



Get the friends round, extended family, invite as many children as possible, with good food, refridge or bin the hamburgers, and teach them the joy of healthy and delicious eating.

Answer 91

The parent(s) should create a family time atmosphere where the children will want to sit at the table such as turning the tv off, setting the table an getting the kids to join in by helping them dish the food out and/or putting the knives and forks at the table

Answer 92

Encourage the children to be involved in the choosing and preparing of food. My daughter likes to look through my recipe books and choose some of the meals. If it is a simple enough meal to prepare I often ask her to get it ready before I come home from work. She is much more likely to eat and enjoy it with the family if she has played a part in choosing and cooking it.Also make that time a time for discussing school, homework, activities as well as for eating.

Answer 93

I think that spending time together starts at a young age, you institute the value of spending time together and the importance of family values are taught to your children, there a saying that the family that plays together,eats together and works together stays together.In my house when i was growing up my parents had a rule that lunch and dinner where sacred and we knew that we had to go home to eat at specific times. I suppose that in modern times we have to encourage our children more so, maybe asking them what they would like to eat will help, also if it's a girl (not been chavaunistic) that she help prepare the food for example maybe make the dessert, etc.Parents must make an effort to keep family values alive and well, it's important for modern day society that we hold on to our traditional family values in my opinion.!!!

Answer 94

A laudable target though recent stats have told us that watching TV together AND making car journeys together bonds a family(!) so i wonder if the bonding points have just moved elsewhere rather than around the dinner table (as both parents may work long hours and by the time they get home their children have already fed themselves). To address the specific question i would say that current work requirements are no doubt the cause of the decline of the family meal coupled with the sheer cost of living. More flexible working hours and a world that makes a better work/life balance possible as well would create a better environment for this to happen.

Answer 95

I don't answer the phone or the door at teatime. Do these people not eat? I think it's important to close off at teatime because otherwise you'll be up and down like a bride's nightie and your meal won't digest. And it'll be cold. And quite frankly, I'm too tired and hungry to be disturbed. Also, it's the only time of the day I get to see my daughter and interact with her, so as far as I'm concerned, anyone or anything else can just wait!

Answer 96

People think I'm weird because I don't answer the phone or the door at teatime. Do these people not eat? I think it's important to close off at teatime because otherwise you'll be up and down like a bride's nightie and your meal won't digest. And it'll be cold. And quite frankly, I'm too tired and hungry to be disturbed. Also, it's the only time of the day I get to see my daughter and interact with her, so as far as I'm concerned, anyone or anything else can just wait!

Answer 97

well culture is the expense of money not tips, therefore we shall recomend less expensive restaurants and those famous guys like you who attempt to get rich with three bottles of brandy and two of wine. Maridage is not everything, there are children too, go for several entrances, such as free antipasto, lots of bread with butter and some pathe, some four dishes for less than $4 is to emphasize the goal to attend to, giving a complimentary cup or dessert will not pay some bills but will get more people and longer too at your fancy place. So think of it not very bright ideas, yet they do work whether we put it that way or not. Have a nice meal yourself. Bye.

Answer 98

Tom, to get shot of the negative bit -

We collectivley have never seemingly.heard of you.

"Worked WITH Chefs" ? But not a Chef in your own domain ?

We don't know. Please explain.

However, I am also not a Chef but a bloomin' good cook.

I love putting together a family meal.

A bit of background music and a three course job for me and mine around the dining table.

With sons, neices, nephews, and all the family.

Not every day, of course, as there is nothing wrong in my book about a laptop thing in front of the box.

So I feel that we should not be insular in our eating, but as in many countries, societies, etc., enjoy the company.

It seems somewhat to have gone a tad out of fashion in the UK, which is sad, so I agree with your notions.

(A BBQ on my little boat is a thing to behold)



Bob.

Answer 99

Target the workplace first! I would argue that parents largely stop eating together when stress levels go up at work and their working hours become longer or more irregular. If workplace policies are only in place to prevent this happening it should have flow-on effects to the family with their eating habits. In addition, employees in a workplace provide an easy population to access. The organisation may even help to fund the initiative if it was illustrated how the effects from this change can improve productivity

Answer 100

We should try to make sure that the meals are inviting and too everyones tastes and sit at the table.

I think that if the schools were to say that this is good many children would ask for everyone to eat together.

i have 5 children n a husband and we all try really hard to do this,

we also have a roast at least once a week where we all eat at the same time

Answer 101

First of all we have to rebuild the family as an institution. May need a reformer like Martin Luther ! We have to act daringly by de-legislating the Laws that permit 1. Living together without marriage; 2. living together with the same sex; 3. not living together with Parents in their old age; 4. not praying together with our children AND with our relatives.

We may even suggest the celebration of the lord beyond the Christmas season.....

Answer 102

i always insist that we all sit at the table for every meal. Only sandwiches are allowed to be eaten on knees in front of the tv at night. I think the table is the most important place in the house because its where children learn to be sociable . I like my kids to speak with their mouths full as they enjoy their food and interact and discuss the days events at the table. No one has to eat what they dont like and the table and family dining becomes a very enjoyable time. Its very noisy and enjoyable at my dinner table. I would say promote sitting together at the table....Never force kids to eat what they dont like, offer an alternative instead and make eating a meal together something to look forward to.

Answer 103

Make sure everyone sits at a table not with trays on their laps, if that's not possible at least sit in the same room and have a meal that everyone will enjoy and it will be ready at the same time, not different meals for different family members as each person could be sitting down to eat at different times which doesn't help.

Answer 104

I think that television has a huge influence on how people live their lifes. People often try to mimic the lives led by their favourite characters. Perhaps if dinner-table scenes were written into more programmes people would try to imitate. This concept may sound silly especially when TV is a major factor in families not eating at the dinner-table but TV can give insight into lifes different to one's own.

Answer 105

i think that the parents shud make time at least 3 or 4 times a week to have meals together.let the kids and partner know that the following day is a family day and nothing is gonna stop it.make the meal and lay the table.turn of the tv and anything the kids have on and sit down to the family meal at the table.involve the kids by asking to get ivolved in the cooking and the laying ov he table.make them feel as if they are part ov it all.incourage them to join in.to cook,help.etc. involvement is the key i think.

Answer 106

I think supermarkets can start by selling family-sized ready-to-cook dishes such as stir-fry veggies,fish cutlets etc. by taking into account the average family size of 6.So there should be six pieces of mackerel fillets per pack etc.The key to a family meal is balance and the most important role is assumed by the mother who ensures everyone is at ease and ensure that drinks are already poured to minimise hand movements during the actual meal.In Eastern culture it is impolite for children to eat before their parents do,but due to the rise of American TV dinners and westernised dishes,children eat as soon as their mum serves them,so I would not recommend having meals in a separate dining room because this induces a feeling of segregation;instead set the dining table in a central area eg.between the living room and the kitchen,so that children can transmute to TV area if they want ot watch TV or feel uncomfortable.I think if children don't feel comfortable they don't eat properly and this will result in late-night hunger and this would cause more financial burden to the parents.And I don't agree buying excessive food because children sometimes prefer leftovers that are re-heated.

Answer 107

Keep it simple - from the food to the conversation.

Involve the family in ideas and preparation of the meal.

Turn off the TV and any other distractions, although background music is OK.

Sit at the Dining Table and chat to each other but make sure you keep it relaxed and friendly.

Above all, don't turn the table into a battle ground.

Answer 108

Tom



Right now my girlfriend and I are travelling around the world and we can concur that the countries with the safest streets, most relaxed attitudes and friendliest people are those with family meals.



Sadly the answer to your question is quite simply about working lives. In these countries people work very close to home and can be back home for dinner without any issue. I quit my career at 32 to sell up and travel around the world, I would happily never work in "corporate" life again for the better quality of life. Too much expectation bred by too much media is hurting our lives, family and security are the biggest sufferers in a world that craves everything it sees on TV.



There is hope, switch off the TV, keep on telling your boss that you won´t function properly without family and as long as we all on that wavelength it won´t be long until this is the norm. Alternatively move to Vietnam, France, Ecuador or Mexico.

Answer 109

It's important that the family cook find different meals and continually change the menu every, say, six weeks or so. "If it's Tuesday it must be spaghetti" just won't do forever, for many people. We've evolved to be creatures who love variety in our diets. Foods used to be seasonal and we just get tired of (or no longer need the nutrients in) dishes that we eat habitually.



Also, if I might add: studies show that the family that eats (and talks!) together, stays together. I read that about 10 years ago, so I focused on cooking and eating (and talking!) around the table for dinner every single night. It worked. I'm still very close to my adult kids and they have picked up the cooking habit themselves. We all just make the space for it -- and Just Do It -- like an exercise routine, or a very special ritual. (I love it and I think it shows.)

Answer 110

To get families back round the table we need to start early with food education and where possible limit the types of highly processed food that is available in the shops. Lots of families don't eat together because they are unaware how to actually cook, A lot of children and some adults could tell you how long there favourite ready meal takes to cook in the microwave but not how long it takes to boil an egg. An easy solution is for free education for adults without any or limited cooking skills and where possible the people with a love for real food to try and share that love with as many people as possible.

Answer 111

Strangely enough life and social habits within families seems to be waning. People don't seem to be as close knit as they were when I was young. Debts and trying to make ends meet appear to dominate today's life style.

Food is eaten only as sustanance and not for the enjoyment of sitting round the table with a good meal and cheerful conversation. It's a sad fact that fast food seems to have taken over so many peoples lives.

Answer 112

i guess it is just a case of how u are bought up we are a close family and sow e always had one night a week were we all get togeather and have a meal even if it is just beans on toast.

now i have a family of my own and every monday we have family night no matter what we all help make a meal, clear up then play a game or just talk it is great it means i get to spend time with them all togeather i think the best way to encourge others may be to just invite them around to join in with yours.

i dont know if it will work but it is worth a try

Answer 113

Families do not have time to eat togrther anymore because of work commitments, meals are just thrown together as fast as possible and eaten even faster. Myself and my family only eat together once a week if we are lucky but there is normally something that crops up and somebody has to cancell. I would love it if all businesses, shops, cafes,offices etc were not allowed to open on a Sunday so that every person in the country could get together with the family and have a proper get together.

Answer 114

Why should we be encouraged? What is it that is so special about eating together? It is not convenient for us all to eat at the same time. Also we are al hungry at different times of the day. An early dinner may be too early for some and a later dinner, too late for others. It's too much hassel. As long as we talk to our family on a regular basis, have a laugh, watch tv together, go out together, then the relationship is there. I don't like to be told what to do....i.e we are eating at 6pm....for example. I'm an adult.

Answer 115

It is only discipline,as the family gets up in the morning , goes to work and school it is not difficult to get into the habit of eating a

self cooked meal together in the evening ! IT IS ONLY A HABIT ,THAT CAN BE LEARNED !!!!!!!

TELEVISION OFF AND EVERYBODY DOES SOMETHING TOWARDS DINNER ! PREPARING THE FOOD, LAYING THE TABLE etc.!

It should be a set time every day that fits in with ALL the family and

should not be avoidable after a time is agreed .

I have always done this with my family and have passed it on so that my children insist of doing the same with their families and say it is the nicest thing to do ever !

Answer 116

Recipes and ideas are not hard to find, bbc food for example, and a lot are inexpensive too. Failing Sunday try supper nights 8 or 9 pm is not too late so why not a Mexican night or a vege night or even vegan !! (if you don't particularly like eating ) get the kids to help out and perhaps dress up for the theme.

Answer 117

Easy solution, I know because I had to take this action in my own house.

No T.V. No play stations, NO going out to gym, No music Nothing.Until everyone had dinner together catching up to do and dishes were done...

I got so fed up with cooking great family meals and always someone was going out, (they'll nuke it later). In the middle of a cool game..I got so annoyed. I put my foot down.

It is the most important time for family so I did what any mum would do, scream blue murder and gave them all THAT look.

Now we eat together happily..

Answer 118

We eat together at the table every night,this is how,every week our kids get to choose a recipe for me to cook,so they look through books and magazines and each choose one dinner a week,there are four of them,my hubby and I each choose one also and sunday needs no tinkering!! Also each of our kids takes it in turn to sit at the head of the table and gets to be BOSS-so they help serve etc,and we all take turns to tell the high and low parts of our day-however mundane.No telly radio or computers on at dinner time,once you try this for a few weeks you dont want to go back to tea on a tray-it becomes part of your life the way you automatically brush your teeth in the morning.Its a great way to touch base with the rest of the family.It helps you stay connected and is really so much more than just eating together-long live family food!

Answer 119

The head of the house hold will have to make the decision, first, that he wants his family to eat their meals together then he must require it of his family.



That is how it worked with my parents families when they were kids, that was the way I was bought up, and that is how my wife and I brought up our kids.



Our society today has made the conscious decision to not have meals together and we may have to accept the fact that the ways of this world are changing and good, old fashioned family values are no longer valuable to these newer generations. It all boils down to God being push out of the picture.



These are the signs of the times.



Best Regards

Jon

Answer 120

I suppose it starts with breakfast... if parents can't make an effort to get up to have breakfast with their children then how are they going to learn that eating is not just a basic need? You need to allow enough time for each meal to make it an occasion to enjoy your family's company, to talk about the important things of the day, to debate about politics or the preparation of the food, etc. And I think it only works if the TV is switched off for the duration of the meal...

Answer 121

From my childhood, my mother would ask her to help in the making of the Sunday meal. We'd cook together and learn as the same time.She would share her teenage years or school days while we talk about the week. When the meal is ready we'd spread a rug on the floor and eat in one big plate the food we made together. We used to do that every Sunday for as long as i can remember until i travel to England. I m pretty certain that she still does it

Answer 122

Well i know from my family background we have always sat at the table together to eat.

The first and most obvious answer is removing tv from the equation. Its is a bad habit sitting in front of the tv to eat when we can easily sit at a table. However here comes the second problem. Alot of family households dont actually have a separate dining room, enough room in the living room or kitchen to have a table or breakfast bar. The third problem is timing. For parents like me with younger children, find it difficult because we dont feel hungry and want to eat at the same time as them. Work commitments mean that alot of parents finish at different times and have to wait until their children have gone to bed.

I make the effort to sit down once a week, which is usually ona sunday and eat with my two boys and my partner. I sit at the table and eat lunch with my youngest.

My next door neighbour doesnt have a table but she borrows mine once a week, usually on a friday night or saturday and so she too is trying. It sounds crazy doesnt it.

Everything in our society right now is all about convenience and rushing things. Microwave meals, takeaways. It has its effect on our eating habits. So in answer to your question i think that you have to look at starting from scratch. Get everyone involved in helping to make the food first then sit down together. You have all chipped in and it makes everyone feel kind of special as it is getting more and more unusual for parents and children to be involved in cooking together and also eating together.

Answer 123

Set a least one night every week and make sure everyone is home in time.



Encourage everyone to prepare the meal, pizza's are a great thing to make.



Have food that is more fun to eat and needs to be eaten at a table together like fajitas. That way no one can eat theirs in front of the telly or in a different room.

Answer 124

I always made a point when my children were growing up that we ate at least one meal a day together the evening meal normaly when we were all most likely to be at home at the same time by stressing to them the importance of talking together about what was going on in our lives ,this has stood in good stead and now we all live in different places we try to get together at least once a week for a meal so we can catch up on each others lives and help with problems etc. they have told me that they think it was one of the most constructive things we did and my son at uni says all his flatmates try to do the same once a week sit down and eat together and discuss the flat, studies etc.so yeah its important to do it.

Answer 125

Make meal times the family time of the day (it can be hard with one or both parents working later hours).



But meal times in our house are our family times to sit down around the table and find out whats been happening in the day, its a great way to start the evening.

Answer 126

Yeah like when?

I think I'm in a typical family - Wife 2 kids.

Get up at 6 have breakfast whilst getting ready for work and getting the kids dressed.

Both myself and wife go to work, kids go to school.

I collect the kids at 5:15, they've already had tea. Return home for 30 mins of playing then it's bath time and then they're off to bed.

At weekends we go out for quality time and often eat out (together). Sunday lunch happens every week.

So how can we eat together more often? Quit Work?

Answer 127

As a mother of four children, we all leave home at different times in the morning, but the teatime/ evening meal is always eaten at the table with the whole family at the same time. It is something that has always been done in our house and is now part of our daily routine. This is the time I find out if there is a problem with one if the kids at Uni, college, school or nursery. It is also the time we all speak as a family, sharing jokes stories of Friends etc. It is the best part of my day!

If you introduce it when kids are at an early age, then it is part of the household routine.

Answer 128

Instead of forcing the issue, make it a special occasion.

Either by preparing a meal everyone likes, instead of it`s Tuesday so we are having Liver. As was the case for myself.

Another option is to dilute Red Wine with a watered down Vimto and treat the kid`s like adults by allowing a glass. Or for something special eat out once or twice a month, does not have to be expensive, a pub meal and a shandy would be o.k

Answer 129

1. Most of today's dining tables are too small for a family to sit around! Needs addressing!



2. If (predominently) parents (although Schools & Govt play a major part in this too) were to de-toxify their AND their children's diet from the sugary, fatty and high salty diets to more vegetarian and raw food, then kids would feel healthier and their body would let them know what is good to eat. Thus...if they are healthier...they would be less 'problematic' at mealtimes ...probably one of the great causes for this family seperation!! I know this first hand as my children are extremely healthy and supportive at meal times.



3. How about looking deeper into the issue...ask the question: "DO YOUR CHILDREN WANT TO EAT WITH YOU?" Hmmm..this raises the relationship issue...perhaps the true cause??



4. Make food FUN!! As has been mentioned...let the kids cook something (usually it's the pudding!).



5. CELEBRATE meal time!! Have jokes...maybe a song...maybe a surprise?!! Use your imagination!



6. Make it a MUST to be together with the kids...at least for TWO days a week! Then if you experience the pleasure it brings...it will grow.



7. Give them something comfortable to sit on!



8. Do not allow sofa dinners!!



9. WE ADULTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEMS OUR CHILDREN HAVE INHERITED! Yes...I believe the government plays a HUGE part in this by supporting/being supported by (nudge nudge) the Corporate giants such as Coca Cola, Cadburys, etc. These 'monsters' are creating the addictions for our children and so, meal times (unless they feed their addictions to sugar & salt) are hell for kids...and invariably parents...who simply give in to them and let them eat addictive processed foods, watching tv in the living room!



10. Restuaranteurs can make a HUGE difference by encouraging HEALTHIER vegetarian food in their restaurants!!



Look forward to the feedback!

Answer 130

not only turn off the TV, but ban it between meal times. This is a problem that has increased over the years. It would also help to have more home cooked food for dinner, as it has become so easy to have a pizza or burger on your lap in the TV room. It will soon become a way of life if the Parents stick to it and the kids will learn the importance of " being together "...........

Answer 131

Someone has to take ownership for making everyone do it. It's easy to say you want to but but we're all that busy that until someone makes it a priority it'll never happen. That said there are must be easy wins:



- turn the tv off.

- all eat the same (don't cook a different meal for each of the kids!).

- make it fun, tablemanners yes, atmosphere of a morgue no.



Not sure what else, we've just started to eat as a family and I think its great!

Answer 132

Encourage everyone within the family unit to eat only at a dinning table, as a result we usually require some form of companionship while eating at a table. As a result hopefully as time passes meal time will result in many family meals together!

Answer 133

By making sure everybody sits at the table to eat and banning meals on knees.



Or, by making television companies put soaps on later in the evening, then, if you can, serve food in a room where there is no TV.



Alternatively, try to make a start by having a family Sunday lunch and insist everybody sits down to the table.

Answer 134

Make mealtimes a happy occasion. Get the kids involved in the cooking and preparation of the meal. We eat together most nights and it is a nice relaxing time to be together and to talk about the days events. Something I really enjoy and was brought up with.

Answer 135

The problem is too much interference from tv, radio or even computer, Also the fact that people work all hours does not help.

Another point to consider is that not every one can afford to have a separate dining room/area with the cost of houses these days,

so people normally have to sit in front of the tv to eat.

Answer 136

a fun and relatively cheap way to inspire family contact is to arrange a bbq,,the kids love them,,'dad' gets to play the roll of chef for an hour or two and mum can sit back and enjoy the family all being together,,(as we do) encouraging the kids to choose what they eat and maybe help to cook it seems also to arouse even the pickiest of eaters to try what they have seen being made,,keeping it fun by playing a few games can also make what can sometimes be a rushed chore into a pleasant and enjoyable time for all the family,,swing ball,football,cards all help to give the family time just for them and if the parents are happy and relaxed,so are the kids and that is good news for people who sometimes have no space or even time for family meals.

Answer 137

Serve wonderfully cooked meals and individual favourites that the family likes and encourage dialogue at the table. A nice and relaxing atmosphere also enhances the mood of enjoyment which hopefully will encourage those tardy members of family to look forward to and turn up on time at mealtimes. And if possible.........as special treats, bribe them with the most delicious of desserts imaginable !!!

Answer 138

Try to get the whole family involved from the preparation to the cooking. Each one can do a part of the meal and when everyone is eating they can begin the conversation with their opinion on what has been served up and what meal they are going to do next

Answer 139

the idea that people lead busier lives now is in fact totally false, at the turn of the last century the average working week was 60 hours, and that was not including transport times to and from work. the plain fact is the average person spends more time in front of the TV than at any other pursuit, tun it of at meal times for at least one hour, make it a firm rule that it does not go back on even if they eat fast, dont use "fast food" all the time. prepare fresh food and encourage them to help you. TALK to them, and LISTEN to them . make them feel you would rather listen to them than Corry. Then you might find yourself enjoying it and looking forward to meals together

Answer 140

get a road show up and running, show familys the importance of eating healthy and together. Demonstrate how fun it can be in the kitchen and thats everyone in the family can do something to help when cooking.

We have pleanty cooking programs running on tv, why not some thing that involvs a whole family cooking,

Answer 141

Get everyone involved.



Let the kids choose nice napkins, or just fold squares of kitchen paper into "napkins."



Have little celebrations at dinner, like "fruit punch" to celebrate someone getting 10/10 for there sums that day, so it feels like a happy time, when everyone is enjoying the time together, so they look forwards to it.



Let the kids choose dessert, even make it if they are old enough. Have dessert, it will keep the interest of those little ones at the table and incentivise them to eat the main course.



Get the children to help prepare the food, set the table, get them to make place cards etc. make meal times a little occasion. Children like to be involved and feel important if they have a little job to do.

Answer 142

I agree that the TV needs to be turned off. I come from a family who used to st down and eat together. One of the main reasons we stopped is that some family members got fussy about their diet and mum ended up cooking a variety of meals- all ready at different times. Therefore agreeing a family menu is important.

Sitting down to eat needs to be part of the routine, if it can be done at a fixed time, even better. Sit down 15 mins before meal is ready to allow time to discuss the day's events. Parents should start by having some good questions ready, and something more stimulating than "what did you learn at school today?".



Once a routine has been built up and the children ENJOY the family discussion, it should be quite easy to continue. Perhaps it is not good to encourage reward for participating in sitting down to eat, but maybe if the kids want feeding, they only get it by sitting at the table.



Various techniques could be used, depending on the personalities of your children.

Answer 143

It is just about as much as we can do to be in the same house together without the stress and imposition of setting the table, and forcing reluctant people to sit around it. Work, homework, music practice, pantomime rehearsals etc...etc... make all my people very busy bees - all they want to do is sit together on comfy chairs, by the fire and watch some TV - if we combine this with having a meal, I have no problems with this - and nor should anyone else (plus it makes my life easier and I am all for harnessing my energy for more important matters). The 'eat together' police should look to their own houses and leave ours alone.

Answer 144

By keeping the television on the standby position



Get children to organise laying the table with tablemats and cutlery



Let children help in every way by deciding the menu and desert within reason



Wait until everyone is together, mum dad and all children and sit down altogether



Discuss topics of the day after eating meals

Answer 145

Get families to cook together & variety is key. Being a vegitarian (not eating Fish, Meat or Eggs) is the most challenging menu to cook especially for a range of kids from 6 to 17. You need to be creative, individual & be prepared to try out new receipies.

Answer 146

I grew up in a household where we all had our own vegetable plots, rotating crops every year so we didn't just get to experience growing one type of plant. Planting the seeds, watching them grow, looking after the saplings so bug's didn't attack, then finally harvesting, preparing and eating it all together, had our family sat round a table every night of the week to eat. I feel if this sort of lifestyle was resurrected then the nation would be a happier and much healthier place.

Answer 147

It's a good question and a good idea.

Ditch the Tv? Put the TV in the dining room? but then everyone would be distracted....Bring up interesting conversations to discuss over the meal. Have a 3 - course meal then people have to wait for each course and can chat in the meantime, but harder on the cook though.

Answer 148

a few things. We, turned t.v. off, and sat around a table. Some people work different times, but kids come home from school usually around the same time. There fore mum, or dad, should be there for them. Iether get one parent out to work, and lessen up on the foreign holidays, and consumer goods, that does not give health. Or put the whole family on the dole, and they will have nowt to do but eat together all day.

Answer 149

If you encourage parents to have certain themed nights then the children may be more inclined to sit and have dinner as a family. For instance if every tuesday night is pasta pizza night and everyone helps out in the cooking then the children would be more excited about eating together and not having to endure a night with the parents and dull conversation.

Answer 150

Shorter and more flexible working hours and making family life more of a priority. Stay-at-home mothers are now a minority and were once the fabric holding the family together. Families are increasingly time-pressured and gathering the family together at one particular time is logistically impossible. One solution would be to have a designated 'family day' once a week, where the family meal takes precedence over everything else.

Answer 151

I believe we need to re-educate the population when it comes to food. Too many of us opt for the quick, plate-in-lap, tv in front meals that are destroying family life and our children's trust in food. We need to encourage families to "make time" to eat together, even if it cuts into our already crowded days. I think the provision of sheltered tables in parks would be a help. Many of us like to enjoy bbqs and picnics but find it hard to locate suitable areas for these activities. Free cooking leaflets containing recipes which can be made as a family should be sent out to parents when they enroll their children in school. Supermarkets should be made to encourage family meal times, and reduce advertising on frozen meals and seperate children's dinners. Finally, workplaces should start encouraging family friendly policies, allowing staff with families time to get home, cook a nutritious meal and enjoy it with their children. They will be happier workers for it, and we will be raising a whole new generation of people to enjoy and understand food, and the benefits of family life.

Answer 152

Set aside one evening a week for a family meal. Take it in turns for each family member to choose the menu (within reason – caviar and lobster thermidor once a month is out!). Get them to help lay the table to make it look special, and try to time it so people aren't dashing away from the table to go elsewhere.

Answer 153

I think many people are missing the point. Its not about the food persay. Its about love. Children need to feel it and when they know that thair parents love them unconditionally, they will naturally want to eat dinner with their parents. They will want to share their highs and lows of the day and get insight from their parents because of the trust that exists. Children shouldn't want to dissapoint thier folks because they will feel the hurt they cause. Hence dinner time together is a great time to bond. At least, this is how it should be.

Answer 154

Families have very busy lives. Parents are encouraged to involve their children in extra-curricular activities etc to improve their physical and emotional wellbeing and develop social skills. This means that families are often busy in the evenings and sitting down together is not always possible. However perhaps if families can at least try to sit down once a week then this is a step in the right direction

Answer 155

Families need to spend more time, playing together, going on outings, whether it be the beach, river, shopping , sports etc, just spending more time together, this of course will encourage them to eat together, which brings conversation, more bonding, just being together.Families are so important, and if there is a routine meal at home, then it should be encouraged at a very young age, that as a family we all sit up the table at a certain time, and share our meals, maybe Dinner time, and as Children get older, move out , get married, a Sunday Meal at mum and dads, would be a good thing, perhaps one weekend at each others homes. if of course possible..........or lest one night a week get together with your family, special occasion, it could be a t a restaurant.

Answer 156

Problem is most families are all on the go to much to do not enough time.



Give em something tasty which can be put togeter in a short space of time but takes a while to enjoy.



Unfortuatley gone are the days T at 5 and everyone made there way home...

Answer 157

I think cooking together as much as possible. My parents encouraged us to help out in the kitchen from time to time which discouraged us from nipping off to watch tv while they slaved at the stove. Obviously this isn't applicable every day as it can take some organisation, but if done regularly could also be a gateway to encouraging healthier eating.

Whether it is a complex recipe from the top chefs current book or the simplist of dishes from the book of penguin classics you can usually find some kind of task for everyone to help out with!

Answer 158

Its up to the parents to switch off tv and encourage family members to share in meal preparation, like setting table. However, this also depends on whether all family are at home at one time and if eating is done at proper dining table or eating off laps or coffee table. My family eat together some of the time. Its a great way to share whats been going on that day.

Answer 159

First of all, if families are not in that habit, it will take some time to adjust to it. Perhaps it can be introduced slowly at first , like saying that the family will eat together every Sunday. This should be a day when everyone is likely to be around and not rushed from hectic schedules. Both parents or adults will need to be positive about this, it doesn't help if one of them or both make it seem like a difficult prospect. These days should be relaxed and fun ,so that children will look forward to doing it again.



Going out for picnic together ,is also a fun way for them to eat together without feeling forced .



It is surprising how much children can enjoy helping to make meals,or to prepare them by themselves. Both mine have a day a week when they prepare the meal. My daughter usually likes to decorate the table and place it as she wishes ,so that we can sit together and enjoy something she has created totally be herself. I am not over strict about them having their turn ,as realistically they do have a busy life ,and I don't want them to resent cooking as a chore. Instead I have explained to them that it is something everyone needs to learn , as part of being an independant adult. I also let them make puddings and treats in moderation.



Once these small steps are in place , it will be easier to introduce more days ,until eventually it is normal. If the children are very small,it would be wise to introduce the concept from the beginning, by having babies in high chairs at the table. Toddlers should be taught that they only get their food at a table.



Meals should generally be at a set time , with the tv off. Programmes can be taped, or meals had at a time when no-one desperatley wants to watch something. It is no use asking them to get to the table when their favourite programme is about to come on. Parents need to show respect for their children's feelings and to compromise once in a while , if they want co-operation.

Answer 160

A good start would be to make sure the parents are home at a decent time. Usually one of them doesn't return from work until well after 7 which is a tad late for school children.

Breakfast these days is rushed as everyone has different deadlines , but it's probably the one meal that the family could eat together if they all rose earlier. Then the problem is grumpy kids who don't want to get out of bed or go to school.

Maybe a theme night once or twice a week when a different kind of food is dished up. If the children know that that is their exclusive time with their parents and they can discuss anything it may encourage them.

They love their opinion being sought over matters - makes them feel like adults. 'What do you think' is a question they love.

So, good discussion, good food and good time keeping on the part of everyone may go some way towards solving this growing problem.

Answer 161

Make a date basically! Depends whether you are talking single Mums, kids that have left home etc., Arrange a convenient time for all (hard, I know)!! Sunday Lunch would be a good one. Cook their favourite & get them involved. No tv No mobiles No computers. Music is always good, relaxes everyone & TALK to each other, help whenever possible & don't forget the washing up!!

Answer 162

make it an enjoyable occasion, all sit round the dining table and share your days. there is only 2 in my family and we always eat at the same time round the table and then do the cleanup afterwards together.



always cook something that the whole family likes, we sit on a sunday evening and go through the family recipe book and choose for that week, makes the shopping bill easier too

Answer 163

People love eating in front of the tv, but if you could get everyone to agree to eat at the dinner table at a time that's acceptable for everyone, they'll soon see how much fun it is to talk around the table, just having fun and getting to spend some time together.

Answer 164

there ways inwhich farmilies can be encuorage to eat together.

1. that the family should have a specific time of eating., for instance, break fast 7:30am, lunch 1:30pm and dinner 6:00pm and anyone that did not eat should forget eatting at that particular time.

2. the mother must as a matter of fact knows the type of food the family likes at a particular time.

3. we should also make sure that families are happy together, a happy family is the type that pray togther and eat togther.



thanks , am KENNETH ADEDURO

Answer 165

If the children in the family are young, encourage them to help make the meals and get them more involved in the process... That way they will be proud of their achievement and will sit at the table happily and if you praise them for a job well done they will want to help out in the kitchen and meal time will be great :)

Answer 166

Well, I try to get my family to eat together as often as possible. All I do is make the dinner and tell everyone it's ready! Maybe parents ought to be a little more forceful with their kids. Saying that, although I do usually have dinner with my children, my partners job doesn't allow for him to join us every time. Maybe companies should be more family friendly so that people like my partner, who is a carer, were only expected to do a maximum of 2 night time shifts a week.

Answer 167

we got in the habit of eating infront of the telly, then my son suggested we eat at the table in our kitchen, there is no telly and we did just that.

He said he liked sitting at the table while I cooked and we talk. My teenage daughter now joins in a it is like a de-brief of the day. We sit and eat and talk and spend about 45Min's together at the end of the day and I'm so glad I took my sons view on board.

we are all studying or at school and it is a good space to share ideas, unwind and catchup with what everyone is doing or going to do. We put on classic FM and, well it has certainly changed my day for the better.

And everyone eats better as well....give it a try it is a lost part of family life a habit I carried on after my parents who always ate in front of the box and one spoke really and possible why I have no real contact with them.

Answer 168

Well parents should set a specific time for dinner, and use it not only to eat but to talk with their kids about what happened at school/play etc. also in the warmer months picnics and family outing will reinforce a spirit of togetherness and making eating together fun and about the family will make the children more willing to participate.

Answer 169

This was just a rule in our house, and we all knew it. We did not go out to play around dinner time, we knew we had to be there all together. Parents need to set this in place at an early age, and stick to it. The TV should not be allowed on, no matter what. My parents involved us in the cooking as well, we all had a little job to do, so that we all felt part of the routine. A lot of parents these days just don't bother with simple things like regular routine.

Answer 170

Yes, going by the experience of living in my family we've eaten at the table for meals when we are all home. With my parents being so busy it can be a great incentive; the chance to talk about your week or just general chat.

After you a while of good conversations, I find I assiosiate eating at together as a vital bonding-type thing.

Answer 171

Move to France or Spain -- or in fact any country which has standards better than this dump of a country. Where families eat and interact with each other, unlike here where parents don't give **** and let the kids do and say what they like - I live next door to a family who don't even take the kids on holiday with them (the kids are 14 & 8), the 14 year old's language to his parents is atrocious. On the other hand he is a nasty piece of **** and a prison cell is already waiting for him - with a bit of luck

Answer 172

I think the question we need to ask first then is why arrend families eating together anymore? they are all so busy with work and there own lifes. you would be happy to know that we always eat together as much as we can so at least 4 times a week and always sunday morning breakfast.

I think make people realize what they mis out on and the mite make a bigger effort

Answer 173

It is a tradition in England the Sunday roast is shared by family sitting at the table. This should continue. One must be strict with children if they do not come for family meal on time then they will not have cooked meal at all.

Answer 174

Food adverts/promotions like the Bisto "aaaahh! night" / our night in are a good start it give families the idea and reminds them what they are missing. There should be government subsidies for adverts like this with a hidden social meaning and benefit, also ones with healthier lifestyles. The idea could also stretch to examples of families in soap operas and comedy programmes doing the same, perhaps finishing the night off with a game of monopoly by the fire instead of the tv.

Answer 175

By encouraging families to eat homecooked, wholesome food. If someone actually puts effort into preparing a meal they are more likely to encourage their family to eat together as they'd want to see their reaction and receive their appreciation as they eat.



I love finding a new recipe that suits my family, love sourcing the ingredients and preparing the meal. I love to see my son's and husband's faces as they try something new. I love the gratitude and appreciation I receive when I have made an effort to prepare a meal for my family.

Answer 176

I honestly can not tell you an answer to your question as everyone is different. I can say a few suggestions, but really and truely it is up to the "familes" of this world to acknoweldge them and to realise that family times are the most important of all in relation to children growing up in a safe loving and secure home. It is so important for familes to sit down and share with each other, to communicate to each other about how the world and its injustices make us feel, if not, husbands cheat, so do wifes, children end up being bullied or even worse the bully. Children have to go through so much when growing up, that parents must realise it is vital to have a close relationship with them, this could be started by making their favourite meal, or a "goodlooking" desert for aftewards. Listening and respecting parents is not so common in the growing (younger) generation. Why are you posting this question you should ask yourself. Shorely when you were my age, if your mother told you to do something, you went and did it. Pure respect, however, the times we live in now, parents cannot even manage to get their children to sit and eat with them, its a worring state I reckon. Children and teenagers need protection and an eye close on them. Parents should just demand a family sit down, nearly every night, and warn the children that there will reprocusions if they do not do what they are told. Soon enough they will respect what they have to do and just do it, so sitting down and eating will be normal for them, they will then pass this on to their children (hopefully), which will more than likely, improve family realationships and stimulate feelings and understanding them by sharing with each other how you feel.

Answer 177

i am a single parent. My kids and i eat together every week day tea time.(and Sunday lunch.) its the most important part of my day. No t.v on we chat about our day and all eat the same meal- cant stand this idea of making 3 or 4 different meals.



My children are older now but in nursery were the only ones who knew how to hold a knife and fork correctly. how sad is that parents arent teaching the basics of family life and manners



Top priority is to have a dining table- no matter how small your house. Meals on trays in-front of the TV is where it all went wrong.



If you lay the meal out in dishes and let them help themselves i think it takes longer and is more relaxed. They can then eat as much or as little of the food they want- but it also makes them share also get the kids to help lay the table make it a nice time

Answer 178

Or sometimes I will say OK Sunday everyone is to be home at a time and I will do the traditional Sunday roast and we are all together, if this fails I will suggest a day in the week that I will do the roast and all are there together.

Answer 179

By involving all in the preparation of mealsand menu's. make it fun for the kids to lay the table and help out and stress the importance of family mealtimes as a way of communicating your day to each family member! Food is fun! incorporate fun into mealtimes , make them healthy and family orientated, involve all the kids in meal planning and enjoy this quality time together!

Answer 180

Well in my family we always eat dinner together. It allows us to catch up on each others news and also makes sure we all eat at least one healthy meal a day. If u want to encourage others families to do this y don't they just come round to mine n see us in action then they will see what they've been missing out on.

Answer 181

get all members of the family to take part in the dinner, so that everyone gets a equal share into the preparation of the course. It'll bring together that family bound & it'll be so much more fun. Even for kids, they might like the junk food aspects of food, but when they see what is being prepared infront of them in the kitchen. Maybe they'll see what they like & appreciate it more. Open their taste buds!!!

Answer 182

Families should not have to be 'encouraged' to eat together. It seems to me as if society has lost it's fabric! We all work long hours, have stresful jobs - to one degree or another and lead very busy lives outwith all of this.



Family life, sadly, seems to be at the bottome of a very long list. Food is expensive too.



My family all go shopping together and we pick what we would like to eat as a family. The other day, we saw a dragon fruit! It cost nearly £4! My daughter - who is 4 years old, wanted a mango, it cost £3 - I cannot afford to spend that on a bit of fruit!



We do however, try to eat dinner every night. I want to speak to my daughter about her day at nursery and to my husband about his day at work. I try to prepare a healthly meal that we can all enjoy.



I think that to get families to do this on a regular basis, we have to tell people that family values are important and this starts with sharing a meal and talking about our day. To be able to share our feelings of our day over a meal can open up chanels that would surprise most people!



It's so important to share time with your family, this is what people need to understand. The importance of family needs to be rediscovered! Lets start with meal time - PLEASE!!

Answer 183

Hi



I would like to think that i would make meal times fun so that we all enjoy eating together and not find it a chore,

I select each member of the family to choose what they would like to have for dinner one day a week but they have to choose something that they have not tried before and also that they have not chosen before, so the time that everybody has chosen you have all tried something different in your diet

I would also get every one in the family to help and make the meal as this could be a good way of spending time together plus all have a good time together

Answer 184

Encouraging families by advertisements on why it's good to all sit around a table and eat together. Where family time is important for communicating about the days events.

Answer 185

Start when the children young and set it as a normal family routine. At home we ate breakfast and dinner together. We all had to get up a little earlier to eat breakfast together but then at least my mother would prepare something good. For dinner again we all sat, as we ate in the kitchen no radio and tv could distract the conversation, and everyone talked about their day. As both my parents worked this was really the only time to see them and talk to them. We took turns deciding what was to be eaten so at least once a week it was your choice. No arguing was allowed.

Answer 186

You cant.! simple as. People can do what they want when they want. You cant say that eating together as a family is the right thing. It might not be for some people. I know for a fact I would prefer to eat on my own and enjoy my meal rather than eat with my family and be rushed through and have the tele on at the same time.



So my question is - what makes you think you have the right to encourage families to eat together. Your family might be perfect and all sit down and discuss issues over dinner. But that doesn't work for everyone.

Answer 187

Try and encourage at least a couple of times a week both parents to be home and sit down at the table to eat with the children. Encourage children to eat slowly, and cook healthy but nice food, and let them earn the pudding by eating the veg first.



Allow children to drink watered down wine with their meal (like in france). this makes them feel more grown up, and treat them like adults. Allow music on in the background, but no tv/computer games. Perhaps follow this up with a board game/cards.



Every so often when I was a kid, the power would go out for an evening (we lived in the country). We would light candles, cook food on the gas stove, and sit and eat together with no distractions. Then play cards. perhaps a "blown fuse"?

Answer 188

Other than the ideas raised in the answers so far, one of the fundimental differences between English and other cultures is that families are welcomed in all restaurants. Eating out and appreciating good food, without the need for a Wacky Warehouse, is ingrained from a young age.

Answer 189

start with a FAMILY meal



as kids turn into teenagers, join after school clubs and develop their own fads, its easy to slip into the habit of doing your own thing at meal times



make a family night, start with just once a week, where you all sit down and eat at the same time. It could be take away (he he.. blackmail) or a home cooked dinner.



Use the time to ask what each other has done recently.. ask about school, work, friends, ....



AS simple as this sounds, people do forget how to talk to each other about things like this, and this brings people closer



Its easy to plan a day out in the summer... but as the family what they would like to do at the weekend. It doesn't have to be expensive. Hire a movie, get popcorn and drinks, turn out the lights and unplug the phone



ever noticed how food brings people together? every one has to eat

Answer 190

It all starts at breakfast. Even in a time where everybody seems to always be running off to work or just to be running out of the house every morning, I think there are things that can easily be changed in a positive way. I notice some families don't seem to communicate at all. I think it is essential that everyone in the household participates in it, for instance let the children help preparing meals, let them clean the dishes or set the table. In my childhood experience, this made eating together more fun. If you put the effort into making the meal, or setting the table, the reward you get makes it worthwile. Learning to give and to share starts at the most important thing, the roots.

As for diner, I think their should be a clear schedule, so everyone knows when dinnertime is, so it won't take forever to get everyone around the table, which saves time for talking.



I have been living on my own for almost ten years now, and I still love eating together, with friends, family or out. To me it is a way of showing friendship to others, of appreciating them, of being happy that they are part of my life. It is alarming to think about what kind of future adults are being created, I hope they won't turn out to be very egotistic, but I fear there is a big chance that they will be.

Answer 191

Although a Family eating together is all very well and sounds idyllic, it is the love and support of each other that solves all the wrongs there may be ! Fortunately I believe the majority of the families in this world do love, care and support each one another.

Answer 192

As a by answer, I still have all the family to my house at Christmas and I still have a family tradition that the TV is turned off at 6pm Christmas Eve and not turned on again until the day after Boxing day. Never had any complaints, we play games, talk, walk etc. Kids love it.

Answer 193

Firstly get them to grow more of their produce, it gives you a connection with your food. Also bring the children into the kitchen when cooking and get them to do some of the preperation.



Always eat at the table and turn off the Television and if needs be all mobile phones.

Answer 194

Perhaps by involving them all in the creation of the meal in the first place. It always seems to encourage people to do things together if they have some responsibility towards the end result.

Answer 195

All familys should allocate one day a week, and try to create meals together. Get everybody involved, it will make the thought of sitting down to eat the meal more fun for the children because they help create it.

Answer 196

Get everyone up a bit earlier and have breakfast at the table before going to school/work. Arrange to have your evening meal at the table as well. Arrange a time when everyone is going to be home. If this doesn't work have at least one night per week as family time.

Answer 197

A time-table for eating should be made and strictly followed. If the kids don't like it maybe you could impose some sanctions like cutting thier pocket-money!

However you have to make eating together pleasant like encouraging discussions and eating out sometimes.

Answer 198

We cook our evening meal together,(not every night, about three times a week) as a family, and we try to make new things, & have some fun, and when it's finished, we all sit down at the same time and enjoy the meal.(Hopefully)

Answer 199

Decide a set time for the meal ie dinner6.00pm. turn off the tv, radio,computer, mobile and leave landline ring to encourage conversation. Each member to contribute to conversation, obviously this will take time due to decline of the family. Encourage children to help cook nutritious food not convenience meals continually. Make it a regular feature.

Answer 200

It isn´t always the case of encouraging them to eat together - it´s sometimes as simple as lifestyles! Mum and Dad usually both have to work these days and then the kids want time with friends or afterschool activities. Getting everyone in one place at one time isn´t always easy !!

Maybe we can educate companies to allow all parents to be home for mealtime and get workers that do not have families to cover for them (Joke) but that is about the only way you could get this done.

Answer 201

Time is important in a busy world. Preparation of food is not as important as it was with ready cooked meals.



Families need to make the decision to want to spend time together and food is a good reason. But first they need to understand the reasons for making your own meals.



So I am afraid its back to school and teach students how to make good food, and encourage children to prepare food at home.



Picking the right food is also important, so how about simple tasty food like boulibasse or lemon cod with potato wedges.

Forget puddings and starters just good plain food.



So bring food back to the heart of the family not just an add on to keep you going.

Answer 202

It is all about education and motivation. Parents should be encouraged through learning to make time for the family.There should be a policy in the workplace where people can go home for lunch and spend time with their children.For the future of children it is so important to eat together and make that time special.

Answer 203

Turn off games, TV, radio.

Be aware of each other and use it a a time to talk and above all to listen

We live in a culture where both parents have to work to maintain a decent standard of living - that needs to change to allow one parent to be at home to prepare meals as well as being there for children.

Parents need to to give their children 'proper' food from the start. It's no good introducing greens at age 11! BUT mainly they need to establish A ROUTINE of eating at regular times.

In so many homes the TV is king. Switch it off. A meal time (especially breakfast and evening meal) is a time for the family to share news, views and each other.

If need be make sure each child in family can invite a friend round as well to join the meal

Answer 204

It will be difficult now-a-days. When my children were small it was easy to sit them down so we all ate together. As they got older and had out of school activities it was eat when you can. Then with them working it was impossible to eat as a family until Sunday when we were all home.

Life styles have changed and I don't think that you could get families together unless for special occasions.

Answer 205

All depends on the type of family and work, school schedules etc, make meals that satisfy everyone's appetite, there is so many variations we can make now of simple dishes that will satisfy everyone but the main thing is to find common time and when its not possible make up for it at any chance you get

Answer 206

you have to make sure the family is involved in the preparation(laying the table ,peeling the spuds and so on) so that i becomes a family affair from the start. make sure the telly is off (it's all rubbish on it anyway) and sit at the table NOT in the lounge on the couch.

enjoy the experience and chat. discuss the day that you have had and listen to everyone Else's.

but most of all make it a usual family event.

Answer 207

Arrange set times for meals. Always eat at the table! Never allow Television to interfere with meals. Encourage input from the family as to what the meal should consist of!

Answer 208

To start you should give chance for the family to be togheter, so both parents should finish work at the same time and start preparing dinner involving the kids, and of course no use of the tv but instead talking about the day`s events. Only in this case i can see the family togheter.

Answer 209

The majority of families don't spend eating time together because we're all out working trying to pay crippling bills, mortgages and the like! For example, our average working week is about 48 hours for me and about 44 hours for my partner! Dinner is the last thing on our minds when battling home through rush hour commuting. On top of that, factor in the costs to commute, the average utility bills and miscillaneous stealth taxes imposed by our failure of a government leads to longer working hours and thus less time for family fun!

Answer 210

I think to strengthen the family bond it is of utmost importance that the whole family eat together. This can be encouraged by spending more time with activities, all together, Mum, Dad etc. e.g. simple games like ball, i spy with my little eye, going for walks, showing them things etc. so your kids can to get to know their parents and how you all interact together. Even if they do not understand you will see that their attention is on you, because they realise that you are there for them. The more you do with them the more they will want to be you! And eating together becomes a normal thing!



It is like the old saying ..one hand washs the other!

Answer 211

The most common reason for families not able to spend family time during eating is other distractions - like TV, computers.



It should be made to realise that watching tv during eating is not good and people are discouraged to eat in TV rooms.

Answer 212

At first put the TV in front of the Table...then after 2 weeks take the tv away from table and see reaction of family members.If positive reaction,well done;if negative put tv in front of table for another 2 weeks and keep on trying if it doesn't work.



Or you may encourage your child's friends to come over and eat.

Answer 213

Stop all shift work in factory's etc

We have always sat down as a family to eat our meals, until my partner took a new job now he works three shifts, mornings, afternoons and nights so we can't do it all the time anymore.

I really miss eating as a family and I know my kids miss there dad not being there too!

Answer 214

I think we should be teaching children how to cook at school instead of 'Food Technology'. Many parents do not know how to prepare meals or simply cannot be bothered to cook something nutritious, this habit is passed down to the next generation. I feel that if we don't teach today's generation how simple it is to prepare good food quickly, economically and easily, we will breed another genration of fast food junkies who eat standing up!

Answer 215

Ban ready meals, put the emphasis on home cooking, than people will want to eat as a family as time and effort will have been spent on making the food.

Answer 216

Get the kids to help set the table and involve them in making the meal. Make sure everyone sits down at the same time and discuss what everyone has done through the day. Make time to listen to each other and share stories.



Our family eats together and we try not to have any other distractions (TV in background). ~Works for our lot

Answer 217

By making a habit to have at least a meal togother ( e.g. lunch / dinner ). Sitting togother as a family strengthen the relation between each other help solving a lot of problem one could face and revive the family spirit.

Answer 218

Families should eat at least one meal together a week, even if that is when you invite all the family over, so that everyone can see each other and enjoy a delicious cooked meal.

Answer 219

It is up to the parents to set a routine and make an effort to cook meals from scratch in the kitchen and not go out to the KFC or takeaway, and sit in front of crap tv programmes scoffing their faces.... losing the art of conversation because they are so engrossed in watching the crap tv show that is on the tv.... All tvs need to be removed from children's and parent's bedrooms, and no tvs in the kitchen... ONE TV to be set up in the sitting room, where the family watch it together.... Bedrooms are for relaxing in and going to sleep not to have the tube flashing all night long.



The art of cooking needs to be reinstated too. None of these ready made meal bollox lacking in nutritional value and full of crap crap crap!!!!



I havent got enough time! Well become more organised... prep up some of the food the night before or in the morning before you go out to work and get the family to pull together to help make the meal. Kids come home from school before you finish work, they can lay table or peel some vegetables etc... Mums you aint their slaves... teach the kids to help out... it helps them out in later life too!

Answer 220

ggod question

I don't know what the answer is but I think it's sad that families don't sit round a table any more and have meals together, instead they 'graze' and eat in front of the telly, not necessarily everyone eating at the same time

Perhaps these cookery programmes that are on telly could show, not just the finished dish, but people all sitting round a table enjoying the dish and each other's company

Some of them do, as in Nigella or Jamie Oliver, they need to emphasise it more

Answer 221

If tv companies can be persuaded to put rubbish programmes on at dinner/tea/supper time then it would be one less distraction for the family to deal with and put an end to tv dinners.



Maybe the cartoon network or the Disney channel could not be broadcast between 5 and 7 pm.

Answer 222

I cook simple fresh food for my wife and two children most evenings. I also manage to go to the gym 3 times a week. My lifestyle requires that I leave work on time, never socialise with colleagues after work and never take work home. I have concluded that cooking requires the same amount of enthusiasm as going to the gym. It's all about discipline and it starts with the parents.

Answer 223

Encourage employers to allow workers to leave on time and go home to their families. Where there is work that needs to be done in the evenings or weekends, people should be encouraged to work from their homes. Also, as a public service, encourage parents to turn off the television.

Answer 224

We eat together as a family every evening now the kids are older tea goes on the table at 6.30/7 pm and we all sit and eat and talk about our day I thought everybody did this but from your question perhaps it doesn't.

If you don't spend time with your kids why did you bother having them if you don't eat with them how are you going to teach them social skills such as table maners??

Pressures of modern living is an excuse we all lead busy lives when our son was younger myself and my husband worked a shift pattern but even then we would try and sit down as a family even if it was only once or twice a week

Answer 225

Possibly try and get a little more involvement in the preparation of dining and everything to do with it by all the parties concerned. This could result in some friendly dinner table chat both complimentary and otherwise but eating together is not just about the science and skill of the meal but the enjoyment by all around the table and this in turn I believe assists family togetherness.

Answer 226

Friday we will have a late dinner together and we will all decide on what to have from the starter the main and pudding, and make it like we are out to dinner in a restaurant having a three course meal.

Answer 227

Set one day aweek aside, and state that there is to be no mobiles, no hand held games no computer, no tv, let the answer phone answer the telephone, don't answer the door to any one. Suggest a dish associated with a country ie:- indian, chinese, mexican etc, everyone chooses a dish to prepare & cook, that way everyone is involved. Then enjoy

Answer 228

We only live as a couple but we always eat togehter. I enjoy the time. I think it is all down to the people and what they want to do. It seems like there is to much ready made meals or fast food going on.

Answer 229

Get local and central governments to insist that houses and flats are built big enough to have room for a dining table ! Might seem obvious but all these tiny homes and flats being built have nowhere other than the living room in front of the tv.

Answer 230

Parents should try and have a routine for meals set when the children are young, if not then try and have at least one family meal a week, call it a special family meal, make it fun, what the children want. It is good to try and have a close bond with your children or they will never want to eat with you. Make time for the kids and they might just make time for you.

Answer 231

Turn the tv off at meal times, and if everyone sits at the table for the week, reward with a fun day out at the weekend!

Answer 232

i think its something that should be introduced to kids at an early age. im 25 and have always eat at the table with my family. i think due to work patterns now a lot of people who live together aren't arriving home at the same time so that may be part of the reason.

Answer 233

What has worked for us is the TV was thrown out after we got married. No TV resulted in... 4 kids... which grew up naturally interested in reading, crafts, gift making, their natural environment, playing outside, hospitality, cooking and eating together at the table.

Answer 234

1)Encourage everyone to get involved preparing dinner and / or setting the table.



2)Ban television at meal times...it is a major distraction and all communication ceases once its on.



3)Choose a time that everyone is able to eat and let it be known that under No circumstances are dinners put aside for later.

Answer 235

Give children regular homework to write about family meal times. Parents always want to paint a perfect home life picture to school authorities. What more motivation is needed!

Answer 236

Get the whole family involved with planning and making meals!

Turn off the TV and sit around the dining table.

Encourage conversation.

Occasionally go out for a meal together in a restaurant.

Young children enjoy silver service waiting..... they do not have to eat ''haute cuisine'' but just soak up the atmosphere.

ENJOY !!

Answer 237

It may be encouraging to tell

the family it is a very good time to talk about

the families days or nights at work, about what is going on in there lives , even discuss the news or just tell them you have something you want to tell them and you can only tell it over dinner and set a scheduled time for all since different people have different times of work, school, church, etc. BB

Answer 238

I am a single parent and like other parents I am very busy with studies, work, housework, but I make sure every evening we sit down at the table and eat together, more often than not we are all eating different meals, as i've a vegitarian and a fussy 8 year old, the PC, TV and all other distractions are turned off and they help set the table, I find this is a good time to ask them about their day and now they even ask me about mine. You don't have to make interesting meals and it doesnt have to take an hour or more of your time.

Answer 239

Don't let the kids out at tea time. Ask the kids what they want for dinner, (make sure it has plenty of veg) and say to them, "we are all eating at the table tonight, where I want to know exactly what trouble you have been getting up to. Then I'll tell you what I have been up to. And if you eat all your dinner up nicely then you can have pudding. Eat it all, and no do not swear, shout or fight."

Answer 240

Kill the ready meals. Where is the fun in preparing and eating that rubbish? If you are busy during the week, fine. Have a baking session on Sunday. Get the kids to help. Freeze and re-heat at will (At least you will know what goes into it).

Answer 241

Ban the telly at meal times. Do you remember the old kids programme that had the song, "Sitting at home, watch tv, turn it off no good to me, Whyyyyy don't you, whyyyyy don't you ...."? Making everyone sit together with no background noise and distractions means that they have to actually communicate and have more time to think about and enjoy what they are eating.

Answer 242

start it at an early age for the kids to get used to it or make it a special occasion start with birthdays, christmas, anniversaries, etc. then move it up to one day a week then two and so on.



if they ask why explain to them that it gives the family a chance to talk about wots goin on in every1s lives at that moment in time and brings the family closer together.

Answer 243

For families to spend more time eating together, put the tv in front of them, and that'll attract every family to the dinner table of wherever the tv is located.

Answer 244

Each member of the family picks a menu for the night and at the end of the week they all vote to see whos menu was the best enjoyed

Answer 245

Create a happy friendly eating space away from the TV, some children don't like being forced to sit and eat, so involve them in the whole cooking and eating process, also put some music on low and let everybody have their tunes played from time to time.

Answer 246

The only way to encourage families "eating together" is to have enough time out of our working places. There must be Love in the family.

Answer 247

From a young age, make eating meals at the dinner table a routine. Turn of the Tv and make it understood that dinner is a time to be spent at the table with the family. A family rule that is enjoyable. Use it as time to discuss things and not for arguing.

Answer 248

Ban the televison and computer and in extreme cases the mobile phones. My parents made our family eat round the dining table everynight until they thought we reached an age where we could decide when to eat, but still we had to eat sitting at the table. I wouldnt dream of not sitting there now as it has become custom for our family.

Answer 249

This is something you cannot force, that only causes resentment. At the moment, it seems, the only thing that can bring a family together to dine harmoniously is a television and some microwave meals. This is clearly not a perfect solution.

Restaurants too can appeal to most family members but this option is too expensive to keep it regular.



As I see it, the only people who want the family to spend time eating together is the parent(s.) Their offspring get older and want to fly the nest in search for independance and all the factors that make this difficult just makes them want it more. Sitting around a family dinner table imposes the status of the family hierarchy where the parents are in charge and the children have to follow the rules.



I do enjoy eating with my parents, more so now that I've flown the nest and don't see them so often. But too much of a good thing spoils it. Saving special moments like these for special occasions keeps them fresh and memorable.

Answer 250

Everyone kind of does there own thing anymore with kids having TVs in their rooms everyone goes their separate ways to watch their own programs just to keep the kids happy. I think this has to be taught to the children. If the parents don't teach them that this should be a priority they will never learn unless they marry someone that makes it a priority.

Answer 251

hi there, first try having a family night...no friends, just family, eat dinner together then watch a movie, then let one of the children choose a movie to watch the day after, and before you know it you are all eating together as a family every night, with or without watching a movie....great or what

yvonne

Answer 252

By promoting it as a positive thing in music culture. Celebs (who still command a level of respect), embarassingly saying they like having dinner with their family, (as passing comment in an interview, rather than specifically endorsing a campaign). Keep it low level and build a buzz organically.

Answer 253

We love eating together in the evenings, I find time for home cooked food which is cheaper and healthier my children are old enough now and sundays we enjoy wine with our food we listen to each other I think this is why we all turn up.

Answer 254

These days the chances of family dinners are limited. We live in a society that no longer adheres to true family values. Albeit we play lip service to such. We also live in a time period whereby we eat on the run, and find that we spend more time working to live rather than living to work.

Answer 255

Bring back cookery in Schools for boys AND girls. We have such a low value on food in this country and this is reinforced by our education system. Most people don't connect food with health - physical as well as mental. If a child has made something edible in School - they are DESPERATE to share it with someone to get praise and thanks. Teach the pleasure of cooking and preparing food first and most of all let it all be fun.

Answer 256

Encourage? It should be house rules! It's YOUR kids they should do as they're told! Its about respect that they eat dinner at the table, together with you and help prepare the table and help clean up afterwards.

I'm Chinese and because I don't have room in my house for a dinner table we have to sit around on the sofa or floor to eat our dinner, the TV is always on too. But it's allot more fun and enjoyable to be able to to sit around a dinner table at my parents house to eat and be able to talk and sit together instead of everyone falling over each other or standing or sitting on each others dinner.

If you have a dinner table and you have kids, YOU'RE the adult, YOU TELL them to sit at the table with you to eat their dinner and tell them to help prepare the table and clean up afterwards. TV always have to be off and no-one leaves the table till everyone is finished (unless you're feeding a young toddler). Its respect to you, the house rules and it's quality family time where everyone is spending time in the same room doing the same thing.

Answer 257

As a family we eat together every night, and if this isnt possible we always eat together at weekends. My partner and i have worked shifts, antisocial hours etc but we have always eaten together as a family. I don't understand why people can't? Unless they prioritise differently. We work on it being the one time in the day when we are all together for a period of time.

Answer 258

I think this is a great idea as it bonds families and encourages them to communicate. Sadly due to pressures of work this doesn't often happen as people work late, kids need their food earlier etc. I think even if one or two meals can still be taken together it would help - Sunday lunch should be a must and possibly a brunch or similar on a Saturday

Answer 259

First if one of the parents can cook (good) then half of the problem sorted, motivate the family by cooking their favourite and something new on top.

Second you have to organize something fun for aftermeal, so everyone will look further for the time after the meal.

Answer 260

i think we can encourage families to spend more time eating together by firstly making it enjoyable.



I find that as we all progress into society family values are being more and more neglected as we are all driven to follow into dining out or resorting to fast food or takeouts, this in itself is not a problem as families do eat together in restaurants or get a takeout in the comfort off their homes but the whole family is never always there.



I remember as a child my parents made sure that over the weekend they would devote at least 2-3 hours so the whole family would go to the same restaurant to enjoy the same delicious food they had to offer. However as our family all grew up and my parents separated I have not had the opportunity to reminiscent my childhood joys off eating together as a family.



So in theory i think once we all grow older we actually learn to value and appreciate family values. We all assume that our families will be around forever and take for granted all the simple things in life.



The biggest issue at present is TIME. No one has any time because they are always busy.........

Answer 261

then they are nothing special. If parents had the time and the skill to create meals and make an occasion of eating together, then perhaps people would eat together more often.

Answer 262

Make dinner time fun!!!! Get the kids involved in the cooking process, set the table nicely, and once you've sat down to your meal take it in turn to talk about your day, and take a proper interest in everyone!

Answer 263

The best way would be for TV transmissions to cease from say 4.30pm to 7.30pm. That should encourage a little more social interaction within families.

Answer 264

My family do eat together. I was working late tonight, and my daughter held off on the dinner for over an hour tonight so i could have it with her and my grand daughters.

I don't even live in the same house as them.

Answer 265

on a very practical level and i mean this in all seriousness that it would be necessary to teach people to eat properly,the main problems being eating too fast and overfilling your mouth;shared mealtimes in our house were full of suppressed anger as my father used to eat like an animal overfilling his mouth and my mother and i used to sit there in silent fury;there would be silent glances and he in turn used to be angry at our infringement of his right to behave like an animal

certainly if you ar e not affected by these 'minor annoyances' you would not be able to understand why this is such a major difficulty for others;a couple of years a devout muslim used to delight in coming to the office first thing in the morning after i had been up all night and slopping his sandwitch in front of me;i would be exhausted and sick after being up all day and all night and dealing with the drunks in a n open mini cab office-this is not the place to discuss legalism but as a side issue does allah say it is alright to disrespect others and disregard their anguish?;OF course every religion has such people

in the end i said to him that it was better that we should not talk anymore because i didn't want anyone to get hurt;as he was like me a man of peace we did that

as a diabetic i have had to learn to eat properly concentrating on the food and it is a very hard and boring thing to do;another stumbling block is the fact that as an aspect of the general disrespect that pervades our culture now that children do not now see older people as valid or interesting or relevant;this has always been true but the kids don't bother to conceal it now-it would be necessary to reverse this somehow

rereading my letter i can see some very real emotion leaking out at my father's disrespect for us and it is puzzling as every one has different trigger influence s that wind them up

compulsory education in diet and the psycholgy of dieting is also very important;among the many books i read is 'why frenchwom en don't get fat' and culturally embedded ideas such as always eating at table and 'every frenchwoman knows that it is the first few mouthfuls that satisfy hunger' are very important in making people aware of eatign together- i note however that preprepared meals are on the rise even in france

as a general point the problem is that we threw away the rulebook thirty years ago and said way hey we did not realise that all standards and discipline would decline as it is all intertwined and the breakdown of family mealtime is just one sign of a general malaise-our moral laxity also stops from bothering to prepare the food for a meal together;if you look at people's bodies you would not have any difficulty in fearing for the future and not just our physical health as it just shows our lack of self control

a further problem is the spreading of food intake throughout the day to regulate insulin levels and it would require a shift of opinion to break the link between family dinner and a big meal or am i wrong? i would be interested in hearing how a chef would cook for diabetics,keep everyone interested and promote weight loss and stable low sugar;now that really would be a trick

reading the other answers you have the predictable religious angle which i have regrettably come to accept and the gent who proposed the sacreligious idea that you might not like your family and this also has echoes in my comments although he did imply that it was because of their behaviour-imposing a standard working day on everyone so that everyone could eat together is an infringement of liberty and would be very inconvenient;very objectionable also is familial propaganda and i am tired of being told that such and such an event is a family thing and that the family is the bedrock of society and in my opinoin the family is frequently a very evil and socially divisive thing-people complaing about homosexual proppaganda but no one has ever complained about familial propaganda;but somethign is necessary to glue society back togehter

this was a very satisfying and worthwhile question and i loved the no doubt tongue in cheek suggestion of spot checks to make sure that you are eating as a family and eating with guests,;i note that ahmadinejad's first action was to close down all the fast food outlets in teheran when he became mayor and we say he is mad-we need more of this kind of debate and look at what the jamie oliver thing has achieved but how did it ever get like this in the first place and particularly how did that junk get into schools;it is enough to make you believe in teh devil

Answer 266

Get the kids involved with the cooking. Let them help you with the preparation of the meal. This would give them an insight of what goes into preparing a meal (hopefully)

Answer 267

invest in a table and say that you all have to sit down at it together and eat together, we did it worked for us. you could also do a variety meal, different foods that everyone likes, then it is compulsory to sit down at a table together because you can then help yourself to whatever you want to eat.

THe only time i don't sit down with my family to eat is every Tuesday night because I have to go st. john ambulance and i have to leave early and i get back pretty late, normally when my brothers are in bed.

Answer 268

Pass a law to make everybody in the country sit down at a table at 8pm on a friday night!

Answer 269

Advertise, spead the word of easy, quick and cheap meals that show even with a hectic, busy lifestyle you still need to make time to eat as a family.

Answer 270

I cook for my family every night, and we all sit down together and eat a meal. On Sundays we have a Sunday Roast at Lunch time. Simple really. Lack of time is no excuse either, I work full time and I'm a Mum.

Answer 271

Make a point of eating at a table in a room without a TV, and do this with as many meals as possible...

Answer 272

Teach the parents how to cook interesting meals.

Teach parents the importance of getting home in time for this.

Teach the children the need to sit together to eat.



BAN THE MICROWAVE.

Answer 273

By having more people on TV do it.



A vast majority of people watch TV dramas, be it Coronation Street, Doctors, or cartoons, etc. If more of the families on TV were seen enjoying the company of each other on TV real families may actually come to realise how valuable it is to spend time with each other.



I would also suggest schools educating children on the benefits of eating with the rest of their family, such as by sitting together at the table.



However, it is difficult as it may come across as nannying or encrouching on peoples rights.

Answer 274

the dining room should always be a fun place no matter how old you are ,when there isnt food on the table ,there should be family games ,drawing ,painting,homework ,always a place were parents give children posative attention.lots of laughter and patience,children then associate this with a great place to be .it works a treat .

Answer 275

I think the parents need to set the rules and follow the rules themselves. Ie no television and try make it as interesting as possible to eat at the dinner table (if anyone still has such a thing). How to keep a kid interested at a dinner table is another question!

Answer 276

Look my friend ! This is 2006



We Dont eat around the Table eg - Pc Games to play / Tv to watch . The only time i sit around the Table and thats at Xmas. I think your find this in alot of Homes these days .



It would be great to sit around the table but it doesnt happen .



Only way to sort this is to bring your kids up sitting around the table everyday.

Answer 277

You simply have to make the time and for those of you with busy lives, at the very least make Sunday lunch the family meal, where everyone even teenagers have to attend. My husband's family did this and although at the time he and his fellow siblings would sometimes want to be somewhere else, they now do the same thing with their own families.

Answer 278

If Restaurants were cheaper for sure families would go more

often together to try new things and have nice time, I come from Belgium and families spend lot of time together in restaurant.

They make less profit per tables but have more customers!!!!

Answer 279

Try to make the meals fun! Use colour in your food and play with that for a healthy relationship on the table.

Answer 280

I think the key is for parents to show that they care, love and understand their children. If a boy or girl feels a strict and ruthless eye fixed upon them, then, the last thing they want is to have lunch/dinner with their parents. If you're a good parent, showing infinite love and support then, your children would want to eat with you without being asked.

Answer 281

we have to go back in time, lay the table,have a set time for

your evening meal , say 7oc and everyone must be at the table

no excuses ,and in time this becomes something to look forward to, discussions about familey matters etc are so much more relaxed ,and everyone can have there say ,table manners are taught by example to the little ones ,and dad gets to lay the law down to everyone if he has to ,

Answer 282

Well, i know what you mean tom! People eat to quickly which causes them to spend longer in the toilet! Food is not digested unless it is eaten in the correct manner. Well the best way would be to tell them the consequenses of eating fast.

Answer 283

You need a big table,comfortable dining chairs, flowers, candles, good HOMECOOKED food, good talk. EVERY DAY.No TV in the room; no sofas. That's how WE communicate! My four kids have been planning and preparing a meal for me on special occasions since they were 5 years old.

Answer 284

I used to love mealtimes because they were always fun. Each one of my brothers used compete with the others to come up with a more ridiculous or humourous scene that had happened during the day. Failing that they had to have a joke as forfeit.. and believe me the whole family fell about over meals.. dont know how good it was for the digestion but I remember them fondly. My neighbour used to send in her non-eating daughter to eat with us, and she always cleared her plate!

Answer 285

Get the children to become involved in the preparation of the meals. Also, there should be at least one family night when it is agreed that everyone will eat together.

Answer 286

i think for a start have the family around the table to eat at the same time if possibe because this day and age many familys have meals sat on the setee or the kids take meals to there bedrooms. second of all educate parents to cook for the family as many parents dont know how too

Answer 287

Have a dining table is every family home and turn off all TV's within site of the dining area

Answer 288

Firstly, ask the question - what militates against families eating together? Here are a few ideas.



1. Pressure of work/ shortage of time. If both parents are working, and are tired after getting home from work, the incentive to cook and serve a meal at a properly laid table is not there - parents have to clean and wash clothes, iron and all the rest. It is understandably tempting, in these circumstances, to invoke the Microwave and the cardboard box meal; or stick a couple of boxed pizzas in the oven.



2. Commuting. If dad or mum do not get home until 7pm, as often happens in Southern UK, the kids will have been wanting to eat since getting in from school at 3.30pm.



3. The culture of grazing. Because of factors such as both parents working, and thus having to leave home early, perhaps to commute, and because, in the UK at least, workers seldom take their lunch break to which they are entitled, and eat a sandwich at their desk. They've probably skipped breakfast, and have had a snack instead. Leaving work, they are faced with an hour or more journey home, so another snack is taken. Result - too full to eat a cooked meal at home.



4. The move away from structure in society towards a postmodern culture of satisfying personal demands as they occur, leading to chaos and conflict in family scheduling.



5. The advertising and easy availability of fast foods.



6. The lack of food and dining awareness in parts of the UK. We are beginning to get a generation who cannot even do basic cookery - boiling an egg or creaming potatoes. We also have a subculture where eating on the hoof and drinking direct from bottles and cans is the norm.



From the above, we can see that economic factors are the primary causation for the decline of the possibilty of of organised meal planning and the enjoyment of food taken together around a table. Added to this, the pressure to indulge in media entertainment (if you have not watched x programme on the TV, you will be lost for conversation with your peers the next day), means people are happier taking food on a tray in front of the TV.



Economic factors cannot be controlled by the 'people'. If house prices continue to rise, or if interest rates go up, the pressure for both parents to work will continue. This factor is exacerbated by the fact that microwaveable food is more expensive than buying fresh and preparing it yourself, but if both of you have been at work and travelling for 12 hours, how does one summon the energy to prepare and cook a meal?



The Postmodern idea of instant satisfaction of the merest whim militates agains parents making sacrifices to maintain some semblance of organised family life. The 'right' for both parents to have a career is enshrined both in Law and in contemporary culture, and this is exacerbated by the presumed need for white goods, two cars per family, a foreign holiday, and the latest technology, be it X-box, PC, mobile phone or flat-screen TV. Everyone has to have it all, at once. The idea of one parent working part-time so they are at home to cook and serve a meal, and maybe get on with a bit of washing and ironing whilst the joint cooks and the vegetables bubble in the pan, has gone well and truly west.



The hectic lifestyle during the week eats in to what was the traditional time for relaxation - the weekend. This is because all the jobs that would be done by the stay at home or part-time worker during the week - shopping, cleaning the house, washing and ironing the clothes, has to be done at the weekend, and this has to be fitted in with the kids clamouring for outside entertainment - theme parks, or at least a visit to McDonalds.



What can be done? Not much, as long as the Pound and the Dollar reign supreme. There is little social housing, and to buy on a mortgage is becoming crippling financially. We have no food culture (and I note, with despair, that young Parisiens are abandoning their glass of wine and plate of 'Assiettes Anglaise' for a sandwich), and family culture is no longer encouraged, as it militates against the consumerist, long hours, macho culture of the workplace. Mr Blair and his successor will have to be coercive, both to business/finance and to parents, before we can have a hope of re-establishing the structured family.

Answer 289

get them exited about food, encourage them to watch and participate in cooking, shop together and let them choose the fruit and veg, explaining how why and what it is , take them to a local farm to see the animals (if u eat meat) and also to a veg farm and see the food growing in the ground, THEN...when it is dinner time they will be asking to eat the food so talked about so you can make it special and discuss it while you eat! If you try and encourage a wide variety of food and show that you love eating it it should follow to your children.

Answer 290

As a family person we always try and sit down together and have our dinner together i think that it is important and after or during we talk about what has happened at work and at school,i think the children tend to chat more about what has gone on.So i totally agree as a family they should make an effort.Its time and not alot of people make that time.

Answer 291

Get children involed in the cooking and food preparation. If a meal is shared in the making of then it is more likely to be shared in the eating of.

Answer 292

Give each member of the family an evening meal which is their choice, they all then have something to look forward to and to discuss within the family.

Answer 293

I think parents should think of their children before work then they can work round them and make time to eat with them. Spend more time eating together at the weekend as well.

Answer 294

.



Teach children proper cooking at school again for a start, like it used to be in my day, so that when they grow up and have children themselves, they can cook them a decent meal.



Men are better cooks than women these days - most women don't know how to boil an egg!



Because of this, kids are sat in front of the TV with a TV dinner!



TURN THE TV OFF!!!!



.

Answer 295

If we spend more on education and teaching people about food. creating a interest about what we are eating. showing parents how easy it is to cook and how much fun cooking can be as a family. what the question should be is why we are not taking responsibility for our future generation and putting more pressure and the government and supermarkets to help.

Answer 296

My husband and i make sure that we eat 4 meals a week at the table with no noise or distractions. our daughter is 8 and we have stopped asking what she wants as we found that this made the situation worse, children can have to much choice and to be honest whats the point of asking them?? i mean they usually say the same thing each time. we make sure that the meal is well balanced and healthy, which is also cheaper than the 'junk' food that can be bought. it is nice that we sit at the table and socialise

Answer 297

If you want to encourage families to eat together then i think you need to have a nice set of dining table & chairs that are not set near a t.v set! You also need to have a specific time when you eat so the family members know when to sit down to eat. When i was a child, my parents & three brothers used to sit together to eat & our parents, especially my mother, used to insist that we sit down to eat. I once read that families that sit down to eat and talked whilst eating,got on alot better than families that dont.

Answer 298

Hi,

I think that certain times should be made that no one is allowed to plan anything else on and at that time, the TV and all distractions get turned off and everyone is forced to sit down and eat. That's how.

Good luck,

I hope I helped,

Jack D

Answer 299

Make one day of the week a special day to get the family together.Have a barbecue,get each member of the family to take a dish they have made along,so no one person is left to do all the cooking. Invite friends along as well,let everyone take a turn having it in their home.Let the person who is good at doing desserts bring that along and whoever is good at doing vegetarian dishes do just that etc.,

Turn off the T.V. for the evening.

Light candles,or have soft lighting.

Relaxing background music.

Invite people along who you have not seen for a while,it will make

the occasion more interesting.

Invite the children's friends along,give them their own table,with

colouring pages and treats and things to do.

Have the room warm and inviting,and a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Enjoy.

Answer 300

Firstly turn of the tv put chairs around a dinning table and serve the food at the table and serve at same time each day if possible if they don't come to the table threw it in the bin they will soon eat together this is how are family were brought up try it and see

Answer 301

Offer practical to cook healthier foods (that don't taste like plastic or cardboard!) at a value for money affordable price to your every day low / minimum income family, (impossible?!)

Answer 302

When possible, sit down together at the dinner table - the pleasant, decorated, appetizing dinner table. It doesn't have to be formal but the idea is to frame the experience as being positive and enjoyable.

Answer 303

Teach the children to cook, and encourage them to make a family meal (with help) once a week.

Answer 304

Reduce the legal working hours so fathers can get home before their children go to bed.



I often have to eat my meals at 9:30pm becuase I have to wait for my boyfriend to get home from his long hours/ stressfull job.



Britain seems to work people to the bone like robots, then wonder why they stop acting like humans.

Answer 305

Just having the room to have a dining table so that me and the boys could eat together would be great!

Answer 306

I don't think we can. What families do in their own homes is their own business. If eating together is in their culture and upbringing, that's what they'll do. If not - too bad for them! The idea that "we" can encourage some unspecified "families" to act in some way that we suspect is better than the way we suspect they act seems, at least, artificial, at worst, presumptuous, not to say somewhat pompous.

Answer 307

every person (child/adult) should bring a picture or a toy or a story of what they have done that day at either work school or wherever.. make it fun and interesting so the meal is not focused on the food but rather the conversation and company...

Answer 308

Have one main meal a day. Keep the family hungry till that one meal. This way everyone will be there to eat.

Answer 309

My Grand-children used to eat their dinner where ever they were, then my Daughter bought a lovely Table and 6 chairs, now they can not wait to sit down as a family and eat their dinner. so there is your answer, Buy a Table and enough Chairs for your Family to sit on in one sitting and you will have no more Problem.

Answer 310

Turn off the TV. Get everyone to pitch in with the preparation. Don't just buy ready meals. Cooking is a learning process!



People think I'm weird because I don't answer the phone or the door at teatime. Do these people not eat? I think it's important to close off at teatime because otherwise you'll be up and down like a bride's nightie and your meal won't digest. And it'll be cold. And quite frankly, I'm too tired and hungry to be disturbed. Also, it's the only time of the day I get to see my daughter and interact with her, so as far as I'm concerned, anyone or anything else can just wait!

Answer 311

cut tv transmissions between 5 and 8 to families homes.....most families spent their evening meal in front of the tv, and not together at the dinner table. it would also give children time to study and go outside and play, inmproving their mind and health!

Answer 312

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Answer 313

Give set times for meals and always make it exiting especially for children,kids like routine,I have found with my children if I make a delicious dessert they really look forward to meal times.Also talk about exiting things for example,talk about your last holiday,your future holiday,Christmas,Birthdays,children seem to enjoy meal times more if they are included in the conversation.

Answer 314

my suggestion always works for me. i get the whole family to help prepare the meal then as we sit down to eat we discuss who liked doing what and suggesting other recipes. I find the kids love this as they are involved and they also eat a lot healthier.

Answer 315

my family sit together every evening meal after homework is finished and before the tv goes on its not hard or rocket science,Just tell them dinner will be served at the table at a certain time and yes it works or they go hungry

Answer 316

well its up to the family really nowdays most people are happy enough to have a microwavable meal and the tv on no one cares about old fashioned styles any more unless its a roast dinner or your in a resturant

Answer 317

Give them a personality replacement!! I can't bare the company of my siblings, yet I have to put up with them "because they are family". Even my parents have confessed to me that they are amazed at how selfish and obnoxious they have become!! I would rather be in company of people I choose to be with, instead of those that tradition imposes upon us.

Answer 318

Don't give them a choice, dinner time is family time. Switch off the tv and sit at a dining table. They'll soon get used to it!

Answer 319

How can we encourage families to spend more time doing ANYTHING together?? Let the government stop driving its workforce into the ground with targets to achieve with less finances to do it, for starters - then maybe they'd have more time to begin with.

Answer 320

get McDonald's,or Kentucky to give free food to families on special family nights,bet they would all eat together then,however the correct way would be for parents to behave like parents and lead the kids instead of it being the other way round.modern parents are so frightened of upsetting their offspring,they end up abdicating their responsibility.

Answer 321

Some get their children to eat at the table together thru long tradition of fear and respect for the elder! like the Orientals.



Some get their children to eat at the table together thru strict religious upbringing. Like the Amish society.



Some get their children to eat at the table together thru hunger. like the poorer society in the world.



So I guess the Western society must get their children to eat at the table together thru instilling from young the respect for elders, fear for God and simply no where else to turn for food but home!

Answer 322

Ban TV, PC's Games Consoles. Be more firm with your family and insist that you enjoy atleast one meal a day together discussing how everyone day went.

Answer 323

first off we need to increase wages so one parent can work part time and run the household. secondly we need to sort out working hours so families can eat together at a table and talk to each other instead of ( if your lucky to work social hours) eating in the living room and watching tv. this is never going to happen so sadly its a downward spirral from here.

Answer 324

i come from a family with a broken marrige.. we never sat round a table as a family and ate together.. though i wished we all had of. i think this could really help a family.. they could all dicuss different things and get talking. its a vital point in a family.. have a time tt be home for each evening and be there.. always make time for the family.

Answer 325

stop making it a choir.

i know it sounds daft, but when my fokes kept naging me about having a meal together, i felt less inclined to do so, and when i did, it was usually grugengly. so it was not any fun.

then we sorta talked. now, everyone comes home 15 minutes earlier, to eat together. it may not sound like a lot of time, but to us, it helps to get us all to communicate a little more. my mum cooks something different everyday, and we all help to cook at various points of the week. after all, i think it tastes better if you make it yourself. i think the only way to make familys spend more time eating together is to not make them do it. the t.v. needs to be turned off, and everyone needs to be involved. turn it into a family activity, rather than a choir that you have to do because you are hungry.

Answer 326

Families should make supper time as fan can bee to interest the children like coming to the table.

Dis curse the next gender for the next meal, Cooking and tasting,holidays due times, what to take, the activeties when you get there, and more.

compositions with intersting prises.

participating of meal shearing at table, in all make coming to the table as fan as possible, the food should be what they will wish to eat ,good meals

Answer 327

Allow people to work the hours that suit them, rather than being dictated to. Then we could all plan our lives around our families instead of work to keep families that some people don't see enough of.

Answer 328

Yes, it`s about time family values got together again, I certainly miss the family do`s but then most of mine are deceased.Good luck with your venture,you do look a bit like that chap called Bush?by the way.

Answer 329

Simply turn off the television and sit at the dinner table. Family meals together can be fun.

Answer 330

This is something nice and know what I feel at least some try to make sence,but it's old school and i love it.and till this very day i am lucky at least for my dinner i am sitting with everyone in my family not just me and mine but i come from a very big joint family so the lot of us are on this 23 seated table.i sit where me nan used to sit on the head of the tabile i was the favourit gran daughter.

it's great to know how everyone's spent there day and we all have to sit at the table and have to speak without our mouths full.and when we would want to get up to leave the table say"please may i leave the table".then it's my uncle who is the head of the family say's yes or no.

i'm one of the very few who is still lucky to have my family dinner when i'm back home.

it's a time table basecly which is set up.if you go out for a few pints before you come home after work your gonna miss on the kid's wating up till you walk through the door.

kid's now day's are not gonna let you make the rules for them they would be there and not be there if you get my drift,they would rather sit with there mates out then in doors with the family.

families have to be families.single parents do try there best but very few do make it.

i hope and wish everyone could be sitting together for dinner if not for breakfirst.

Answer 331

i think an ideal way to get families to eat together not only during occassions but randomly is by planning a set date for everyone to get together taking into consideration when each emember of the family is available.

Answer 332

i have a family (wife and two kids 7 &9)

we have breakfast together, the wife and kids eat midday together and we eat evenings together



this for me is very important. it's the best time to be able to discuss the day, listen to what the kids have to say, and to answer their questions without "other" distractions

Answer 333

Eat in a separate room to the TV! Thats how its always been in my house and we always sit down as a family for our lunch and evening meals, which I love doing because it is a chance to talk with and spend time with your family.

Answer 334

You force the divorce through the courts, so what's left of the family can eat in peace together instead of eating alone in their rooms because it's too hellish to eat between two people that hate each other.



/Bitter.

Answer 335

early training from infancy will encourage families, especially before going out in the morning scripturally reasoning together from the bible and after which a breakfast is placed will help families to spend more time together, moreso wholesome conversation, trying to know how the children spend their day espeically during dinner will help them spend more time eating together.

Answer 336

It is tough when we work such long hours and children want their tea at 5pm! We make a point of always sitting to the table for Sunday lunch, breakfast if we are all around and sit with the children during their tea even if you are not eating at the same time. Just chat to them about their day. It is a really bonding thing to do as they will then go off and do their own thing.

Answer 337

Make each day /week/Ur choice (during meals) an amnesty day for each family member where all grievances and queries are answered without any repercussions.Weekends should be for feedback.

Answer 338

With the horrific rise of obesity in society, particularly agmonst our children, perhaps we should be encouraging families to spend more time excercising together.....

Answer 339

Manufacturers should make more family-friendly items. Somethings children will like, but teenagers will think ugh... boring. Need something that everyone can do which appeals to everyone's interest and age.

Answer 340

in todays world people want thing done quick, people don't wanna spend hours cooks just for is to be gone in minutes and kids don't wanna be made to make the table and so on, so the easy answer be have robots do it all but i think that familys just need to talk more and set time aside for meal times.

Answer 341

start thee children Young and insist from a early age meal times is a family time turn off the TV eat as a family mum dad and children

Answer 342

I agree that parents should eat with the children, I know a lot of the time its more convenient to feed the kids first but a quick sarnie after school can usually keep them going until everyone is home. I asked my kids to write down all the proper meals they liked including dessert and allowed one night for "junk food" can't go wrong if you know they have come up with the ideas themselves as they can't say they don't like it! works well for us.

Answer 343

I believe if the food smells good, and the kitchen or dining room table is set, the TV is off, the phone is off the hook, and the family knows at whatever time the dinner is ready, to be there, and make it a nightly ritual, unless there is a good esxuse not to be there.

Familys should eat together and have a conversation as a family.

Answer 344

Leave alot of the conversations/questions until you are eating dinner and show an interest in everyone around you.

Turn the radio off so its better to talk and easier.

Answer 345

We have always eaten together at home, so we just do it as second nature. But everyone's always nasty to me, so i don't like having meals together - i'm really quite sensitive, so they know it'll get to me. Anyway, i'm going off on a bit of a tangent. What i'm saying is, if they get on well, they will make more of an effort to eat together, so if you/they try to repair their relationships with each other, and try to get them being nice to each other; plus eating nice home-cooked food, that's one step on the long road to it!

Answer 346

As I child (I was one of 4 girls), I was involved in almost every stage of household meals from going to the greengrocers with Mum, to preparing the veg, laying the table (the correct way), clearing up afterwards, and either washing, drying, or putting away, depending on whose turn it was.



A generation on and my sister's sons do none of these things. She asks them what they want, and then she prepares it for them, or they help themselves (the food it mostly 'oven-ready'). It is not unusual for her to make 4 different meals. They eat on their laps in front of the TV and they do not wash up. It is not that my sister has decided to exclude them from the process - I think she just thinks it's easier this way.



What's changed?



I think it's probably safe to say that in most households, choosing, buying, preparing and serving food are largely the responsibilities of one person, usually Mum. Now that Mum often has to hold down a job, as well as act as chief cook and bottle washer to a demanding household, family meals are dealt with like everything else - as a chore to get out of the way.



Based on my own experience, I'd say that the best way to get encourage families to spend more time eating together is to involve the whole family. Kids should be encourage to browse through recipe books - take them to the library on a Saturday morning so they can find recipes they'd like to try. Shopping can be done together as a family - if they're helping to find the ingredients to a meal they're looking forward to, then there's less chance they'll get bored and run riot. In my experience, even small kids love to help prepare food and can be given simple tasks like shelling peas, laying the table, or fetching herbs from the garden.



I got to know my family at mealtimes. I learned to be part of a team. I also inherited skills that have served me and generations of women before me well - from rooting out good quality produce at a reasonable price to making perfect gravy (in the meat tin, with Bisto and the water from the veg). My 17 year old nephew will be relying on Iceland and a microwave oven in order to feed himself when he leaves home and I feel sorry for him. And his future wife and kids...



Even if family mealtime only happens once a week, it's better than not at all! Let's make time for it!

Answer 347

since my children were born , we have always sat together at the table , it is the norm for us, but some people haven't got tables or even room to place a table in their accommodation, which can make it difficult for these family's,

if it is at all possible to sit around a table at dinner time, then the tele should go off and i would get the children to set the table up ready for dinner , and try to make it a enjoyable and sociable dinner as possible . persistents is the key and relax

Answer 348

with work schedules etc and the fact that my children are rarely at home as they are both over 18 its extremely difficult we manage it maybe twice a week sunday roast being the main one which we insist that we share and it is enjoyable for all of us when we actually sit down chat etc but during the week its very hard to actually be all together at one time we always try to diversify and have some thing that will please both our children but im afraid sometimes no matter what we do its more important for them to be out and about but we keep trying and do realise the importance of sharing meals this way

Answer 349

Smile - provide comfort food and don'tmake it a ritual. Togetherness is old-fashioned but it keeps everybody on an even keel.

Answer 350

Turn of the Tv, no distractions, make at least 1 night a week, where everyone needs to be home at same time

Answer 351

take turns to cook for each other each night and give marks out of 10 for the meal, start a league table and at the end of each month / season give out prizes for the winners.

Answer 352

Easy-peasy. Encourage the entire family to cook together, everyone has a responsibility for a task, and that way everyone will gravitate to the table at the same time to eat together.

Answer 353

Either by money, blackmail or violence; a combination of 2 may work, but doing all 3 combines is just fiendish

Answer 354

ban the tv to outside meal times,get the dad and the children,to laying table,lay the table and help with the washing up,ask the kids to help prepare the food,so they have something to talk about

Answer 355

since buying a table and chairs for us all to sit at and eat I find that we spend more time chatting over meals and the children eat more without getting distracted

Answer 356

i dont think we can, people dont realize the benefits, i have a teenage daughter and by ensuring that we have a daily family meal together at the table with no tv is so benifial for us, it gives her time to speak to us when she is normally to occupied in friends, phone calls, boyfriends etc.

Answer 357

families would stop the rush rush to and from work, and spend more time with the children and at the dinning table if they work less hours. government need to increase family tax credit and reduce tax for couples with families.

Answer 358

Depending on how old the children are, let them help cook the meal or get them to make fun and colourful place mats etc for the table.

Answer 359

growing my parents always made sure at least we had dinner togather at evenings.as they felt that the only time where the whole family can see each other and and say how the day was spend and can their problems too.and also we enjoy the food .as it says when u r feeling good and happy any food taste best and u dont fuss.

Answer 360

Make a Sunday roast! Or eat at a time you are all in. I eat with my children everyday at 5 ish. And at my in laws every Sunday where there is at least 11 of us all eating together. The bummer comes when its your time to do the washing up!

Answer 361

Cook proper food and not convience junk. Sit around a table with no TV on to distract the kids. Learn to have a proper conversation!!!!!!

Answer 362

Make a point of being involved with your kids - too many people only see their kids in passing - just somethinjg else on the to do list

Family meals act as a communication forum (ugh)



Ultimately, it comes down ( I think ) to lifestyle choice - long hours, big car etc, partially estranged family, or conversely, shorter hours, smaller car etc, cohesive family unit.



Or am I just being too simplistic?

Answer 363

Include the whole family in preparation and cooking of meals, and make it clear that there is at least one meal a week in which you will all participate. Or make it fun, having 'themed' nights, which is especially good if younger children want to be involved.

Answer 364

just glad to converse. So it all depends on upbringing. Get together when ever possible and try to instill in the youngsters the enjoyment so that it is carried forward to the next generation.

Answer 365

Show the TV testcard and make radios silent between 5pm and 7pm!

Answer 366

Make a giant pizza base then get each member of the family to add their favourite toppings to their portion, then once it's cooked you can all sit down together and enjoy your joint creation!

Answer 367

Invite them to their favourite meal.

'Hey every one,dont make any plans today,i am making that special chicken pizza for dinner.'

every now then that will help them sit together and enjoy each others company.

More important the dinner should not lead to any controvertial conversation. Give them a topic right from the begining-----

'some one was telling me that new no.from ---- is fantastic.have you heard?'

Answer 368

It needs mealtimes to become more integrated into normal life. Ban fast food and TV dinners!

Answer 369

Are you the inventor of the Aiken´s diet or is it Atkin´s?

Anyway people are fat enough, they should stop stuffing their faces with fat and grease and rather move butt.

Answer 370

1- show east enders, cornation street and emerdal after 8pm



2- show famialies eating toghether on the above said programmes more often



3- have a family eat together national day to raise awareness.

Answer 371

just make sure dinner is around the same time each day,make sure you all eat together as a family.and ask each other how there day went that would soon start a good conversation.

Answer 372

Offer discount vouchers for dinning tables, with the saving and the money they put down, they will be so glad of their new purchase that they will want to use it all of the time..

Answer 373

Stop going to fast food outlets and using it as an excuse for snacking.Go to a supermarket and buy food that you can prepare and cook at home.

Answer 374

Tax ready meals and snacks. It is too easy for kids and adults to microwave a single dinner and eat at different times.

Answer 375

Turn off the Television and sit around the table.

Time is eaten up by hours off nonsense telly/ computer games/ net surfing when families should eat and play(monopoly, cards) together.

Spread the word telly is killing family togetherness.

Answer 376

Always prepare a good substantial meal served every day

at the same hour. The habit has to be encouraged at an

early age, and always remember to say grace.

Answer 377

Ban televisions, computers, videogames from childrens rooms. This then will mean parents and children will be in each others company more and have time to eat together as a family.

Answer 378

I dont think it's possible weekdays, people need to work late to make ends meet.



At weekends, maybe if the media focussed on eating together... Eastenders, the newspapers etc.... then people might realise it's "normal" or just do it becasue they follow the heard.



I dont think family mealtimes are a really neat idea in todays non nuclear-family climate... My family is 'not operative'... I try to eat along with my daughter when she is here (thats Breakfast and Lunch), or invite guests to join me for food in the evenings if thay are visiting when I am able to eat, even if just a quick snack.



I also try to arrange for my daughter and me to meet with friends who also have kid's at a local Cafe (The wonderfull Errols in Hatfield) on Sunday mornings for what is essentially an extended modern 'family' mealitme.



Main point.... Media coverage showing group eating as a norm.

Answer 379

Make it cheaper to dine out in the UK abroad in Europe its cheaper and better food also the service is a lot better.

Answer 380

Don't sit in front of the television and have set meal times

Answer 381

Get them all involved in making the meal first, especially children will enjoy the meal more if they have helped prepare it.

Answer 382

When everywhere was closed on a Sunday there was nothin to do so we ued to have sunday meal together all the time, now sunday is like any other day.

Answer 383

Instill a sense of society that the Conservative Party destroyed and then people will no longer take more time in the pursuit of money than in the things that really matter, the people around them that they love and care for.

Answer 384

Teach parents how to cook. If mealtimes are nothing but a microwaved ready-meal in front of the TV, then they are nothing special. If parents had the time and the skill to create meals and make an occasion of eating together, then perhaps people would eat together more often.

Answer 385

It's actually up to the parents to make sure this happens. It's a good time to spend quality time as a family to discuss the day's events. Parents need to make sure their children are home by a certain time for family supper and that the television is turned OFF during mealtime. Also, maybe get the kids involved in helping to prepare supper. Even the smallest child can do something! Use this time to communicate and get in touch with your kids.

Answer 386

Also, maybe get the kids involved in helping to prepare supper. Even the smallest child can do something! Use this time to communicate and get in touch with your kids.

Answer 387

get everyone involved in the preperation and cooking of the meal. they should have a set night of the week, where they all have to eat together, with no tv, so that they talk to each other.

Answer 388

There is a lot of debate as to whether this is anymore possible in the 24 hour cultured, multimedia dependent and fast-food consuming life we live in nowadays. Families are barely managing to be together in the home all at one time. Parents are struggling to maintain standards of living by working longer hours, or are working hours to satisfy consumers' needs to have a round the clock service of everything from supermarkets to call centres. Children are consumed by their hi-tech toys, longer school hours or the demands placed on them by society to have increasing extracurricular, after-school activities such as football, netball, judo etc or even by the peer-pressure of defying family convention and attempting to be cool by hanging out will their "mates" until late in the evening.



I think a solution lies in how we value food in the UK. There needs to be an effective way of forcing (not merely encouraging!) families to learn to cook together and seeing it as a necessity as opposed to something we only do at Christmas. I believe the idea could be enforced financially where junk foods and convenience foods are taxed heavily and thus discourage their purchase, and where real, non-processed foods such as meat, fish and vegetables are subsidised and sold so cheaply as to become a noticeable cost saving. I had experienced this model in a Swiss mountain town where I was living. I was on a budget, and realised I could not spend my money on "easy" food as a MacDonald's big Mac meal cost £4.50, crisps cost £1 and diet coke £2! Instead, I found that I could purchase all the ingredients for a Spaghetti Bolognese for approximately £2.00, and still had raw materials left to spare on tomorrow's meal. I soon learnt to eat and cook using raw ingredients, and also found that by combining the efforts of my flatmates we could make substantial savings due to economies of scale. When families see this, they may find they have to evolve their habits to fit in with this, by eating together. When forced to, people always find ingenious ways of adapting and changing.



Thus, the only way of encouraging families to spend more time eating together is to force them to have no choice, but to eat at home. And to do this we need a heavily subsidised farming industry coupled with substantially taxed convenience foods.



Unfortunately, the power of the world economy lies with the Conglomerates, and I doubt they would accept heavy taxes on their biscuits, crisps and fizzy pop lying down. I think we are on an uphill battle.

Answer 389

make them spend time interestingly before serving with singing karoke,family quiz ,games,birthday,wedding anniversaries,or any special dates , a bonus for the number of times they have eaten together in an year and care for the senior citizens ,freedom for the kids,surprises for the youngsters and use a feed back form filling it yourself before them

Answer 390

By having a parent, or parents, who value this idea themselves.



By having parents who enjoy time spent together across the table, who understand that discourse during mealtime, is the most valuable time to share.



By turning off the TV and all disconcerting background noise, by affording one another, the courtesy of 'undisturbed' time.



By making mealtime, the most important part to every day, and dare I say it? By letting children be the children, and parents be the parents, let mother cook and father carve and bring back the old fashioned family!



An old fashioned mum of six, now adults, who made it work that way!

Answer 391

we all should spend at least one night in as afamily and also one night out as a family im trying to do that to my family which is being a pain as my kids are young and going out to dinner with them isnt easy as i thought but im not giving up

Answer 392

Nail the dinner plates to the table.

Answer 393

Simply.....make it a fun-time, enjoyable, interesting so that eating is not a chore! A good excuse to get together.

Answer 394

By having leisurely meals,at the dining table, with the telly turned off.

Answer 395

Why not go out to family friendly resturants, im sure kids would love to eat out there.

Answer 396

by making it law that the work day is over by 4:30. that way people can get home in time for supper.

Answer 397

When something has to give, it’s easy to understand why the family meal may be one of the first things to fall by the wayside. And yet, family meals are not only a time for strengthening family ties and keeping track of your children’s lives, they can actually lead to better physical and mental health for your children!



According to a recent survey conducted by the University of Minnesota that appears in the August 2004 issue of The Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, frequent family meals are related to better nutritional intake, and a decreased risk for unhealthy weight control practices and substance abuse.

A Harvard study published in the March 2000 issue of Archives of Family Medicine showed that eating family dinners together most or all days of the week was associated with eating more healthfully.

The study showed that families eating meals together "every day" or "almost every day" generally consumed higher amounts of important nutrients such as calcium, fiber, iron, vitamins B6 and B12, C and E, and consumed less overall fat, compared to families who "never" or "only sometimes” eat meals together.

Another University of Minnesota study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that children who ate family meals consumed more fruits, vegetables and fewer snack foods than children who ate separately from their families.

Children who frequently eat meals with their families tend to do better in school as well. A 1994 Lou Harris-Reader’s Digest national poll of high school seniors showed higher scholastic scores among students who frequently shared meals with their families. And a survey of high-achieving teens showed that those who regularly eat meals with their families tend to be happier with their present life and their prospects for the future.



When you cook and serve meals at home, you have more control over the quality and quantity of your family’s food choices. Kids tend to mimic their parents’ attitudes about foods.

Children won’t perceive healthy eating as important if it is not something that they see you doing. Eat and serve sensible portion sizes. Be open to trying new foods and new ways of cooking foods.

Family meals should be dynamic - an exchange of ideas, conversation and feelings. Turn off the television, the video games and the computer. Mealtime is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen family ties and pass on family cultural traditions. Encourage your kids to help prepare meals, set the table and help with dishes.



You can keep meals simple, yet still nutritious and interesting, by sticking to nutrition basics. Offer your kids a variety of great tasting foods from the major food groups for any meal or snack.

When time is of the essence, keep meals simple. It’s easy to purchase a ready-made sauce or marinade and add it to sautéed chicken, beef or shrimp for a tasty main course.

Cook on weekends and double a favorite recipe, enjoying one meal now and freezing the other to enjoy some evening when you’re too tired to cook. Soups and casseroles are especially good to freeze.

Take advantage of prepared, nutritious foods. Purchase a freshly roasted chicken from the supermarket and round out the meal with some brown rice and a green salad, and fresh fruit or yogurt for for after's.



Ecouraging your family to eat together:

Make mealtime a pleasant experience, not a time for discipline or arguing about problems at school or work. Time spent breaking bread with friends and family will help your children form positive attitudes about food and eating and create fond family memories that will last a lifetime.

Answer 398

by increasing basic wages allowing parents to work less hours and able to spend more time with their children rather than being forced to work every hour of the day to keep a roof over their heads and allow them a more exist-able way of life.

Answer 399

explain the value of it, the importance, and have a meal together regularly so everyone will be used to it. it will be nice to assign each member of the family to do something in preparation for the meal.

Answer 400

family's should all sit down to a meal every day together and stay seated till every one has finished no rushing and dashing off make this a fixed time daily

Answer 401

Chuck the television out. We did that when our evenings were continually ruined by our two teenagers switching the TV on the minute they came home. (We had no other room to go to.) The lads nearly left home, at first, but then we started eating together at night, and we began having intelligent conversations with them at the table.

Answer 402

Turn the TV off, buy a table and some chairs. Don't let the kids out at tea time. Ask the kids what they want for dinner, (make sure it has plenty of veg) and say to them, "we are all eating at the table tonight, where I want to know exactly what trouble you have been getting up to. Then I'll tell you what I have been up to. And if you eat all your dinner up nicely then you can have pudding. Eat it all, and no do not swear, shout or fight."

Answer 403

In my day Mum smacked us across heads with shovel and locked us in the coal bunker with a bucket of stale fish-heads to share and we were glad of it!

Answer 404

Bring Back Bisto adverts!

Answer 405

firstly a family should have the fear of God within them,i think any family that has fear of God every thing works out fine for them,it is then that the zeal to do every thing together comes in because if there is no happiness there will not be togetherness.

Thanks

Answer 406

get the kids in the habbit of eating at the dinner table from a young age Don't let them eat any were else its common sense people

Answer 407

My folks always made sure we cooked together before we ate together. It doesn't work all the time, because schedules are always changing, but we ate together probably 5 out of 7 days each week.

Answer 408

by making sure everyone sits down at the table together. if it wasnt for mealtimes, im sure we wouldnt talk to one another, discuss issues and homework, or just chat...



mealtime is the one time during a day when were all together, without that time, we might as well live in hotels.



mealtime replaces the simpsons... and whilst bart is hilariously funny, neither he nor homer know mathematics, or physics...



we tell our kids...Bart wont do your homework..do you want to flip burgers at macdonalds... thankfully theyre both at the top of their classes... oh, and ones veggie, and one isnt..

Answer 409

variation of Dinner that all persons like

set meal times every night about 6

ground rule everyone eats at the table together if you not there you dont get Dinner they soon will be all together i did it

Answer 410

I don't know. We eat as a family every night and we sit at the table not around the t.v. It's good, we all get a chance to talk and share whatever has been going on in the day.

Answer 411

have family members each have a responsibility to the preparing, setting, and serving of the meal

Answer 412

By asking the public what is their ideal meal situtation, and then try and meet everyones needs

Answer 413

Choose a time before meals to pray together then have meals together.

Answer 414

Make meal time party time. Or have ready meals with a picnic theme.

Answer 415

Pick two days in advance. TV off, loss of pocket money for anyone who does not attend. Special meal.

Answer 416

Learn to cook. Anyone can open a packet but where are the mums who can cook

Answer 417

take the tv away and force them to eat at the table when u eat dinner

Answer 418

Turn of all the TV's and computers and games,and tell a time to say, this is when we will eat,so eat now or go without!!!

Answer 419

Well, how about national dishes, instead of that continental rubbish? If we had our own national dishes to eat, I think you would find that people would sit at the table more often, rather than constantly going out to get something esle that is much more filling that what the continentals can cook.

Answer 420

Make Restaurants free

Answer 421

unfortunately i think that family's have to eat together from quite early on you can not force it on people suggest maybe but no more than that eating as a family is grate esp with an interesting conversion but with the hours now that people have to put in at work family time is becoming less occurrence.

Answer 422

to get families to eat together, try to encourage them to cook together, make it a more fun and entertaining thing, rather than a chore..

Answer 423

Turn off the television.

Answer 424

Easy - put superglue on the seats at McDonald's and Burger King.

Answer 425

my family set a day aside each week (monday) and we all sit together have a meal then play some games and enjoy family time. i think if people did this then familys would be a lot happier

Answer 426

The answer here is rather obvious. Starve them all for a week, and then watch them gather!

Answer 427

Get good music, food and service this is the ultimate way

Answer 428

these days you will never get familes to spend more time together as long as parents are giving thier children computers,play stations and xboxes, thier own televisions in thier bedrooms and in order for parents to be able to afford all these the harder and longer they must work ....which in the end means families no longer spend time together

Answer 429

By making dinner time fun.

Answer 430

give them sothing intresting to talk about. give them issues the7y have to solve as a family. and a bit of money would go a miss.



Xx

Answer 431

Pull out the plugs from the children's desk-tops.

They at loss it's dinner time.

Answer 432

have a set menu, and play music quietly in background. have a set dining area, nto in frotn of the tv!

Answer 433

By having some good topics to talk about.

Answer 434

Isn't the current trend to get people to eat less and get their weight down?

Answer 435

I think it's IMPOSSIBLE!

Time is too short.. Today parents both works.. Children have school and all is too frenetic....

Perhaps there's a way: add 2 or 3 hours in our days.. :)

Answer 436

You should remind them how important it is to be a family and upset you get when you don't spend time together

Answer 437

what we do is have like a buffet meal with all finger foods which are laid out on plates on the kitchen table.

Answer 438

Sadly the family is dead. Long live the TV!

Answer 439

Switch the tv off!

Answer 440

cook something the whole family likes.and make set days that you are going to eat together.

Answer 441

I get my daughter to help me sometimes, she feels involved and is more likely to eat. I am lucky as she has always eaten fruit and veg but does not like meat.

Answer 442

Make sure you MAKE time for it. It`s a great way for families to bond and talk about their day. Make sure you have the Food that everyone likes (even picky eaters should have something to choose from).

Answer 443

Go to Spain, and observe. Many families are bonded very tightly. It's wonderful, really.

Answer 444

We always eat as a family once a day.

I just put the food out, ring a bell and children appear from all directions, usually including at least one neighbour's child!

Answer 445

it might be a law one day to eat with your family at least once a week,and they might even have surprise inspections at random,with a heavy fine to pay if you dont comply.

Answer 446

By putting healthy and nutritious food on the table.

Answer 447

Turn the TV off and turn the Radio on,

Answer 448

well i come from a family of 6 with no dining room in my house and no dining table it is a cramped house sitting and having a family meal together is impossible

Answer 449

Not sure why you should want them to - the idea that families that eat together stay together just one more 'myth' that middle class parents beat themselves over the head with for failing at. I speak here incidentally as a mother of grown up children that fell for that myth hook line and sinker. From the time they were babies, when I pureed organically home grown vegetables and meat for them, our family always ate supper together. Proper meals, at a proper table without the distractions of a TV in the room, home made bread, the works. We'd turn over the day's events together ad nauseum.



Did it make us a better family? No. If anything the kids grew up resentful at being dragged away from things they'd rather be doing. They'd bolt what they ate, and after about the age of 9 that wasn't much - given the choice they'd rather have eaten burger and chips than the pot roasts, casseroles, stir-fries and salads I wasted hours of my life growing and preparing. They'd pick at the food on their plates, grunt their way through the dinner table conversation, and then shoot off back to their computers the minute they had finished. I'd find the remains of crisps and snacks they'd bought with their pocket money in their rooms.



Insisting everyone stayed at the table until the meal was properly finished and they helped clear away, join in the washing up, increasingly went down like a lead balloon. My oldest son in particular found that kind of family routine a complete and resented imposition on his time. Despite being a very bright boy he dropped out of school and left home at 17 - one of the things he said he was fed up with was being part of a family that wouldn't just leave him alone like 'normal' families, but kept trying to involve him in 'worthwhile' activities, wanted to 'pry' into his private life and 'monitor' his school career. That was his perception - we thought we were just trying to share and take an interest in his day and life. I asked his sister (the most easy going and diplomatic member of the family) if that's how she saw it, and she thought a bit and said, "well, it was a bit boring. Other families don't really do that anymore...."



And that I think is what this question comes down to - you cannot single out one element of life like 'eating together' and try and say that somehow doing that, like you're living out an idyllic French 60's movie, makes you a 'better' family. That kind of ideal only seems to work to me anyway if you have a parent (usually the mother) willing to devote time to preparing decent proper food you can make a civilised and nurturing eating experience out of - wolfing down micromeals on plates en famille is supposed to achieve what exactly? Like it or not, the dynamics of 'the family' have changed. Clinging on to that kind of ritual won't alter that fact, or make you all magically closer or more bonded.



If I was doing it again, I'd not bother knocking myself out running a smallholding, or homecooking and serving proper meals. I'd move to the city, get a better paid full time job, drive a nicer car, wear nicer clothes, and spend our w/ends at Alton Towers rather going on nature rambles, to museums, on litter picks or signing them up for art and theatre projects. I'd let the childminder feed them or let them eat ready-meals on trays in front of the TV, eat out more, and just let them be 'normal' kids. And have a life of my own.



I can't say most of my kids friends have turned out any worse for growing up like that. Getting neurotic about 'family breakdown', loss of traditional values and all that stuff is purely about putting parents on a guilt trip.

Answer 450

you can make a family eat together by making goog tasty food that what people like they will like the food they will eat in a family group.

Answer 451

It can be done just by sharing and discussing each others problems, and making a combined effort to solve them.Own each other, love and respect each other.

Answer 452

get the whole family involved with the cooking

Answer 453

have rules like "at family meal time you can say what ever you want... no yelling, no putdowns" and each member gets to plan a meal.

Answer 454

Cut off all electricity. It made the baby boom, so clearly makes people interact ;)

Answer 455

by only cooking 1 meal per day and if they dont turn up then they go hungry.

Answer 456

Turn off the TV at mealtime, for a start.

Answer 457

by prepaid their fovourite and keep enjoy when eating with some happines like jokes maybe

Answer 458

starve them for 7 days

Answer 459

First famillies have to be encorraged to love each other and be mutually trusted

Answer 460

As long as the food was cooked taste good, they will eat together.That's true.

Answer 461

we always eat together...if we are all here..we have done,we were raised that way..so it carries on..the eldest two also eat at tables and the grandkids too!not in front of the big screen baby sitter..never !!

Answer 462

Make it an occasion.

Choose great food that everyone likes

Answer 463

Stick one small TV on the dinner table! Why does everyone keep saying turn it off? I'm sure they will all go eat where the TV is.

Answer 464

Why try to encourage them??? It is their choice...



Some families enjoy quality time and others prefer to do it their own way...



Leave people to do as they wish...



If you enjoy quality family time, then good for you...

Answer 465

we can do such activities showing eating together is very much necessary for the best training of the new generation.

Answer 466

By advertising the benefits

Answer 467

Dont eat at home, eat out (neighbours friends relatives, ideally ones they like) restaurants...

Answer 468

The society has changed. I eat with my family just in very special occasions.Sad, but fair.

Answer 469

Don't really know why people think its so important for families to eat together! It seems to be a modern trend. My boys always ate at different times (they're all in their late twenties) & are perfectly normal, well adjusted adults, as are their parents!!

Answer 470

Make dinner and enjoyable and comfortable atmosphere.Encourage conversation and good eating habits.

Answer 471

Learn to cook properly, and not too complicated

Answer 472

More McDonalds vouchers.

Answer 473

enocrage them 2 eat it or all eat together

Answer 474

Take control of your family and TELL them when you are eating. Simple.

To many people forget who are the adults.

Answer 475

Buy a table and tie all the kids to a chair!!! ha ha

Answer 476

teach our children to cook, let them prepare some meals,(with guidance), give plenty of praise for their efforts

Answer 477

getting employers to their employees a decent work life balance

Answer 478

easy,turn them into cannibals and invite friends round for dinner

Answer 479

make them take one mouthfull each, in turn, should take about an hour just to eat some soup.

Answer 480

if everyone sits at the table for the week, reward with a fun day out at the weekend!

Answer 481

Announce that meals will be catered, and publish the week's menu.

Answer 482

Better food is the answer. Somebody has to be able to cook.

Answer 483

Invite them (or me and my family) to your house for a free meal.

Answer 484

If families want to eat together, there's nothing stopping them, is there? Who are we to "encourage" families to do something they don't want to do? Social engineers! Pah!

Answer 485

Turn off the electricity, so no computers, dvds, video games, TV

Answer 486

More ads on TV like the new Bisto ad, maybe!

Answer 487

spend more time with your family anyway. As they would love to sit down to a great meal enjoy & enjoy great company with the family

Answer 488

Get parents to respect their kids whilst also disciplining them. Also the rule of eat together or bed without dinner would probably work.



Also take the damn TV's out of kids rooms which is very anti-social.

Answer 489

Tom who?



Anyway, the government could make a set time where all tv's and things in the house like computers and lights don't work... Only the things in the kitchen are useable, then all the kids would have no choice but to sit in the kitchen and be made miserable eating with their boring families pretending to be happy...

Answer 490

I think it's must important to makes prayers for that, because Jesus always help us in any situation. With Jesus we makes all good. God bless you.

Answer 491

make meal times more fun

Answer 492

Tell them to eat burgers with them.

Answer 493

Have them all look like you Tom - i'd love to stare into your eyes...

Answer 494

Serve curry at mealtime!

Answer 495

don't feed the family through the day, let them know dinner is served at 8pm

Answer 496

Make it fun my kids used to love having inside picnics etc. (and still do)

Answer 497

make them sit at a table

Answer 498

Give parents more time off work.

e.g. More bank holidays in the year.

Answer 499

t.v should show interesting programs at night !

in my family it's the only thing that makes me to eat with my family ! lol

Answer 500

Teach the mum's to cook!

Answer 501

Make it the law

Answer 502

by making them talking to each other while eating i.e.,sharing their feelings with one another

Answer 503

Nail them to the table

Answer 504

Bisto!

Answer 505

Eating with them all the time...



I wouldn't mind...

Answer 506

Turn off the TV......it really is killing off peoples conversational skills

Answer 507

make time once a week to sit down at the dinning table.

Answer 508

you have to bribe your kids. that or demand it. your the parent. you do make the rules in the house, dont you?

Answer 509

Why would we want to is a better question? Families who don't eat together don't because they've chosen not to - their choice, their reasons, their perogative. If you think it's desirable, do it with your family.

Answer 510

would you mind coming round to my place and cooking dinner for me you look very yummie. but on a serious note my family always eat together that's because we like to talk about our day while eating. and my mom is a great cook too !!!!

Answer 511

eVERY HOME SHOULD HAVE A DINING TABLE AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO EAT MEALS ON YOUR KNEE IN FRONT OF THE TELLY

Answer 512

By reducing the taboo of cannibalism.

Answer 513

hide the television

Answer 514

make cooking fun get all the family involved.

Answer 515

Make something that not only is inviting in smell, but make a point to cook favorite dinners. Try to schedule dinner during a time when everyone is home and not being rushed because of things they have to do or places to go....MAKE DESSERT!!! That will get them running.

Answer 516

by teaching them more about love in that way thay learn how to be together eat together

Answer 517

Try to make meals that they will all eat and enjoy. Try to use the dinning table as often as possible (if you have one) to encourage conversation at dinner time. Do not have the tv ,radio etc switched on as these are unwanted distractions at meal times.

Answer 518

nice thought but totally impractical - what about shift workers

Answer 519

them days are gone shame but a fact

Answer 520

lock them in a prison cell togther lol

Answer 521

You could pray God Bless you!!!take care!!!

Answer 522

i think families should providing for family and eating

Answer 523

quite a crap question, but lets see, chain the kids to the kitchen table, and make them eat there and then, if they are not in the required room at the required time, ground them for 7 months, and give them a good beating, it will encourage them to sit at the table as a family in future.

Answer 524

get rid of the microwave and have a set time for eating. cook good fresh food .get the children involved in choosing and cooking the food

Answer 525

Buy a take away

Answer 526

GET THE BISTO GRAVY OUT



AAAAAAHHHHHHH BISTO



IT MAKES EVERYTHING TASTE GREAT

Answer 527

throw out the televisions (yes all of them)

Answer 528

Get rid of the teli & computer games

Answer 529

try to cook for them

Answer 530

Make it Xmas every week!

Answer 531

Tell them to sit on their a** and get on with it!

Answer 532

because it brings families closer together and makes them have a stronger bond...

Perhaps my family shoudl do that!!

xx

Answer 533

Nail their fat butts to the dining chairs.

Answer 534

i eat with my family anyhow

Answer 535

we can make items according to the family members wish and desire

Answer 536

.............first of all turn the TV off when dinner is ready, put all the tea trays in the rubbish bin, and lay the table, that should help

Answer 537

Talk -laugh - cook - enjoy - together



simple ingreidients

Answer 538

cook better food that taste like something and can't kill ya

Answer 539

LIKE WHY??? will it bring on a whole new world order... I didn't know families didn't eat together.

Answer 540

do away with the tv

Answer 541

make all the tv's and p.c's shut down at 6pm and then they would have nothing better to do then to seat and eat together....

Answer 542

offer them chocolate cake for desert!!

Answer 543

get them to eat more

Answer 544

I prefer to eat food. eating my family is both tasteless and may well be illegal

Answer 545

Why??? can`t see the sense in it. Our family never did, and we are still close to each other...................!

Answer 546

cook 'em curry

Answer 547

throw all tvs away.

Answer 548

just tell them to ban tv for one hour around dinner time.

Answer 549

Take away their lunch money.

Answer 550

serve good meals,,,,and tell the family what will be discussed before the meal is served.

Answer 551

I think this is quite important, because it will ensure that the family continues to act out its conventional role of being a microcosm of the macrocosmic world. Sometimes, some conventions are healthy and shouldnt just be sniffed at because its such a long-running activity, there is more to it than meets the eye. Nowadays, with everything being remote controlled, ready-made meals seem so much more viable and sensible than people cooking and having a good old family meal together. Family members live past each other, nobody talks to each other, relationships break down and people generally end up wondering, now where did we go wrong?

How does this have anything to do with a simple family meal?

Well, if one thinks hard enough its easy to see how a family meal at a table can help to build up (or possibly restore) open communication between family members (e.g teen parents can keep in touch with their "gremlin" kids to find out exactly what's, shall we say, EATING them?)

Family time together, scientific studies and surveys have proved (never mind my experience too) is important. Meals are "social events" which bring people together in a relaxed atmosphere, where everyone is doing something that is generally enjoyable. People talk, catch up on events, are less likely to "live past each other" and crack jokes, it beats stress, people who laugh together are more likely to build up better relationships with each other. CONSISTENCY is another important factor in raising kids too. As a teacher I know that consistency is VITAL for children to devevop in a healthy manner...its too important for me to sum it up briefly, but too long to talk about it here too, so that'll have to do for the moment.

When people realize this, it should shake them and spur them into action! Nobody wants a broken down family, so people **ought** to make it priority to share quality time, such as around meals (as one of these quality time moments). Everyone needs to make an effort, and what better than a meal, everyone has to eat? A child can always turn down a trip to the fair, but how to turn down a meal?

So, parents can involve children in cooking, by getting kids from a reasonable age to help with measuring and weighing items to be cooked (in so doing helping them practise their maths) then, giving them tasks such as making a cup of tea/hot chocolate etc these sorts of activities are good for helping kids to build up confidence and getting them to chip in and build helpful attitudes, instead of lazy kids who bawl out what they want everyone else to do for them!

Then eating together is the fun bit, obviously, now and again with a promise of some or other nice chocolately dessert of some sort, i say "now and again" because children should be encouraged to eat nature's desserts, i.e fruit! this should be the rule rather than the exception, one'd only need to open up every other web page or magazine ,even on tv. to see yet another FAT NATION programme or article.

My parents used to have a set time for most meals when i was growing up, we woke up (my dad had gone off to work by then), had cereal with mum, went to school and in the evening, we all sat down to a meal, no tv in sight where the dining table was, because tv is a great big mouth which is certainly not required in the company of young growing family members trying to bond with the rest of the family. There is a time and a place for everything, and a tv shouldnt have a place in the middle of a family trying to bond. Tv has the potential to rob family members of this priviledge.

My dad ensured that even though we were poor, we sat at our humble little table, we listened and partook in conversations when our mouths were not full, and that we did not leave the table once we were done, but waited for everyone to finish. if we desperately had to leave, we were taught to excuse ourselves politely and this was how we got taught some etiquette!

Of course this sounds all idealistic and nice and almost "up in the airish", because my hubby works till late evenings a lot of the time (we dont have kids yet) but i make sure i cook so that we do sit down and catch up and make time for each other in this way. When i cook and he can nip home inbetween jobs, i make sure its all pretty and appealing and a nice sweet "afters" if we have the time. I think, if we want the best out of life, we have to put in EFFORT, and yes, effort does require time.

If we go out and buy a sofa, we expect something that looks like it is quality (not one that will break once the guarantee is up a year later) something that probably costs more, but will defeat the cost of having to buy one again the following year (saving u money in the long run), something made in such a way requires TIME to make.

Not making time for family quality time is almost criminal (children turn to ALL sorts of things when left to their own devices and some parents, if ever they do indeed, find out about these "all sorts of things") usually when its too late...quality time together helps parents and other family members to know what's going on with each other, so...(here's a 4 lined poem, the quickest i ever wrote!)

To know about the good, as well as the grime,

take a bit of effort and channel in some time!

Gather round the table, tuck into a meal

Get into that groove, called a Family Deal.

Answer 552

now a days life has become mechanical and the word maintaining good human relationships was forgotten by kids. after the television's invasion on our lives, people are glued to those idiot boxes and stopped talking to each other in their families.lack of joint families is also one of the reason for not dining together in a house. i feel, by switching off the TV, by allocating some time in our busy scheduled time for our family members , we can spend more time eating together.

Answer 553

beg

Answer 554

above all prepare good meals !!!

Answer 555

making special meals maybe ...

Answer 556

If Mums went to Iceland less and Dads shouted at their kids less.

Answer 557

Turn off the T.V.

Answer 558

well i think it's good for the parents to ask the kids what they want for supper that night. if the kid says "i don't know" then maybe the parent should give them some ideas or choices.

Answer 559

give them more money, extremely dumb question

Answer 560

is it really that important

Answer 561

You cant.

Answer 562

superglue

Answer 563

why should we

Answer 564

throw the tv out!!!!!!

Answer 565

you could make wat everyone likes and make them sit together to eat it as well.!.!.!.!

Answer 566

if you have tones of cash give them 40$ or so or be something they like =-)

Answer 567

give them about twenty bucks per meal