Almost 40pct Oz family dinners end up in rifts
July 2nd, 2009 - 6:11 pm ICT by ANIMelbourne, July 2 (ANI): For many, having dinner with the family is spending quality time with their loved ones, but a survey of Aussie mothers has revealed that over 40 percent of sit-down meals end in arguments, acrimony and tears.
In the survey, 16,579 Australian mums were asked what they normally did during dinner, 26.22 per cent said that they discussed the day’s events or talked about topical issues, while 15.59 per cent quietly watched TV.
The latest Voice of Aussie Mums survey conducted for Nestle found that almost eight per cent (7.74 per cent) of mums said that they told stories.
However, for 40.45 per cent of families, dinner is an unpleasant experience, with the meal usually ending in an argument.
But, despite the friction, former netball champion and Nestle spokeswoman Liz Ellis has said that families should make efforts and try to eat together at the dinner table.
“Our fast paced lives leave us little time to communicate as a family,’ the Courier Mail quoted Ellis as saying in a statement.
She added: “Eating dinner together regularly can be a fantastic source of quality time and a way to keep the family in contact during a hectic week. ”
While over 76 per cent of mums said that sit-down meals strengthened their family’s communication, 47.28 per cent believed that it helped foster family traditions.
A total of 61.84 per cent said that they usually ate dinner at the dining room table, 17.85 per cent in front of the TV, and 15.41 per cent at the kitchen bench or table.
A small percentage, 4.9 per cent, eat on a sofa, reading the news or in other informal ways. (ANI)
- 1 in 10 families never sits down for an evening meal together: Survey - Oct 27, 2010
- Being seated close to another table is Brits' biggest moan when dining out - Mar 09, 2011
- Brits increasingly swapping 'TV dinner bites with PC bytes' - Mar 07, 2011
- Busy Brit parents enjoys just 45 minutes of 'family time' on a weekday - Sep 07, 2009
- Hosting dinner parties 'can boost your social status' - Nov 12, 2010
- Busy lifestyles making traditional family dinners a thing of the past - Jan 19, 2010
- Kids who eat with their families 'less likely to get into trouble in later life' - Jul 08, 2009
- Is TV triumphing over conversation in modern life? - Jan 23, 2011
- Britons see price, not quality, when it comes to wine - Dec 04, 2010
- Most Christmas Day family bust-up takes place at 7pm in UK - Dec 01, 2010
- Quarter of Brits lie about their days off to impress others - Mar 07, 2011
- Why can't wives cook the mothers' way - Mar 16, 2012
- A third of Brits think it's socially acceptable to eat with fingers - Aug 19, 2010
- Cereal with milk is healthiest way to start the day - Feb 19, 2011
- Average Brit mum relies on just nine meals to feed her family - Nov 16, 2009
Tags: acrimony, courier mail, dining room table, dinner table, family dinners, family traditions, friction, kitchen bench, little time, liz ellis, mums, netball, paced lives, quality time, reading the news, sofa, spokeswoman, table 17, topical issues, unpleasant experience
