Decline of the family meal

And then there are those children who have a tv, computer etc in their bedroom ...who eat there as well!!
Often the only time they will eat together will be for Sunday lunch ...at one of the fast food outlets

I'm not sure how we jump from not eating together to poor social skills. When I was growing up children had to eat at the dining table but often were not allowed to talk especially not with your mouth full. There are a lot more factors involved in not developing good social skills poverty and social exclusion to name just two. Although we generally eat at the dining table I for one enjoy having a companiable picnic lunch with gd in front of the television occassionally.

When I was little I had to sit at the table for 5 minutes a life time when you are 6 and you want to be out side playing, not inside sitting after the meal was finished. This would mean sitting still ( no fidgeting allowed )whie mum had her cigarette !!!!
Now that I am older married with a grown up family we still eat around the family table even though there maybe only two of us here.
On Sunday I have got to get 9 people around the table that only sits 6 , I will need some (to quote Peter Kay ) "emergency chairs"

We always ate at the table together when kids were at home. I agree it's good for social skills and manners.

SIL family never ate together, DD says dinning table was always pilled with junk She insisted when they got married that they used their dinning table for the purpose it was intended

3 yr old DGS has good table manners...for his age !

I think it is sad that not eating together happens for whatever reason , we always did as a family and my son and daughters carry it on with their children. I just love when we visit with them and we all sit down together .

I agree. One of my daughters has six children and they always sat down at her lovely long pine table for a proper meal every evening. Although they are now scattered, with only the two youngest still at home, they still remain very close and keep in touch with each other. They also have good table manners as they just copied the adults at the table. They all say they will always have a proper dining table for their own families.