Parents wish their teens would put down the phone during family meals.
/ WNWO newsfile
Tired of teens texting at the dinner table? You're not alone--In a national "Dinnertime Distractions" survey, one in four U.S. parents of high school students claim tabletop texting and other mobile phone use as a major dinnertime distraction that cuts into quality time at the table.
But don't blame the kids, about 20 percent of adult respondents fessed up to texting themselves during family mealtime.
"It is encouraging to see that many families are carving out the time to eat dinner together, but it's important to make sure to maximize this opportunity so that it is truly quality time," said Stephanie Allen, co-founder of Dream Dinners--the company conducting the survey--in a MARKETWIRE article.
Other dinner distractors reported in the survey include rushing the meal due to schedule conflicts, TV and computers, parental stress and difficulty engaging children in conversation.
"The family dinner hour has always been a sacred thing, but in this plugged in day and age, we have to work even harder to stop, unplug, unwind, reconnect and use this time to help focus on one another and strengthen the family bond." Allen said.
What are your biggest pet peeves at the dinner table? How do you cut down on family mealtime distractions?
More family time tips: www.thehourthatmattersmost.com
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