Evening meals are being eaten later and later...

The Daily Mail reports that dinner time in the average home has slipped to 7.47pm because of longer working hours and changing lifestyles. This is two hours later than ten years ago.

58% of the people surveyed siad that their increasingly busy lifestyles are to blame. More than a quarter said the main factor was the increase in working mothers, while another quarter said it was because of longer working hours.

The survey, for Jacob's Creek wines, also appeared to reconfirm the theory that the traditional family meal, with parents and children around the same table to eat and chat, is disappearing.
Only 36 per cent said they ate at a table, with a mere 21 per cent saying they used meal times as an opportunity to chat to their family. Twenty-nine per cent admitted to eating their meal on a tray in front of the television. One in five said they watched the night's soaps while eating, while 8 per cent said they logged on to their computer at the same time.

The poll also found that by the time the average person has finished cooking, eating and clearing up and is ready to enjoy the evening, it is 9.38pm.

I thought this was really interesting research, and I guess it has implications for us as teachers. Of course, it means that our own lifestyles are affected and that we often end up working late into the night as a result. But it also means that children must now be going to bed later than ever.