A poll of 35,000 UK children suggests that children whose families sit and talk during meals are more confident.
However more than one in every four tends to miss out on daily mealtime chats with their families, suggests the poll.
Kids between eight to sixteen years of age, from 188 schools across the UK, completed the questionnaire in their classrooms late last year.
The study suggests that sitting in silence at mealtimes is even worse for a child’s confidence than not sitting for family meals at all.
The results show that 62% of those who talk daily with their families at mealtimes feel confident to speak in front of a group, compared to 47% of those who eat in silence and just 52% of children who don’t sit down for meals at all.
75%of those who converse at family meals said they felt confident to join in group discussions as compared to 57% of those who sit together to eat but hardly talk and just over two-thirds 64% of those who don’t sit down for family meals.
The study further shows that the majority of children and young people (87%) sit down with their family at mealtimes – but while almost 74% of families chat at mealtimes every day, some 7% said they always ate together in silence.
The National Literacy Trust’s ‘Words For Life’ campaign suggests families to encourage their children’s speaking and listening skills
“Our research shows just how vital conversation at home is to the future success of our children and young people” said the trust’s director Jonathan Douglas.
So to make your children confident, talk to them during mealtimes, this will boost their self confidence and they will turn out to be an all rounder.
