New Survey Finds Tradition Of Dinnertime Remains Top Priority For Today's Families

Consumer Research Reveals Parents Make Time for Family Meals, Children Develop Lifelong Skills with Kitchen Appliance Innovations

News provided by

LG Electronics USA

Feb 23, 2016, 08:00 ET

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new nationwide study, most American parents eat dinner with their children at home five days a week, while almost a third (32 percent) do this every night in a typical week, on average. The online survey of more than 800 parents of children ages 4-17 reveals that the tradition of dinnertime is becoming more prevalent, reinforcing the priority of family togetherness.

Involving kids in the kitchen to assist in the meal prep is also on the uptick, marking this as a family activity, according to the consumer research commissioned by leading home appliance manufacturer LG Electronics. Nearly all (93 percent) parents report that their child helps them with cooking, and over three in four (76 percent) say that this happens at least a few times a week in their households.

Helping parents in the kitchen is not just another household chore like taking out the trash or cleaning your room; it's a fun task for everyone involved and a great opportunity for more valuable – and scarce – bonding time. Almost two in three (64 percent) parents believe that one of the benefits of children helping to prepare food at home is the ability to spend more quality time as a family.

In addition to surfacing new insights on families coming together at the dinner table, the survey also reveals a number of noteworthy benefits that children reap for their development as a result of their involvement in meal preparation, including:

Trying New Foods: Almost half of parents agree that when their children help cook, they are more apt to eat new things (49 percent) and finish the meal (44 percent).
Sharing Responsibilities: Some of the most common tasks that children are responsible for in the kitchen are basic activities like stirring (66 percent), rinsing (57 percent) and measuring (53 percent). Almost two-thirds of parents (63 percent) report that their kids help them clean up after the meal too.
Feelings of Accomplishment: Most parents report that their children are proud (68 percent) or excited (64 percent) about the meal if they've helped to prepare it.
Active Participation: When children help make the meal, they're often more engaged at the family dinner table. Around four in 10 parents report that in this situation, their kids are more apt to participate in conversations during the meal (39 percent) and likely to stay longer at the table (35 percent).
Boosting Confidence: When their children help cook, more than half of parents boast that their child gets a boost of confidence. Numerous parents also believe that when kids cook, they are learning about responsibility (63 percent), improving their focus (47 percent) and becoming better communicators (42 percent).

"LG actively looks to better understand familial habits in order to better help them manage their busy lives," says David VanderWaal, vice president of marketing for LG Electronics USA. "We take pride in developing time-saving appliances that help families simplify their everyday routines so there's more time to spend doing the things that matter most, like spending quality time at the dinner table."

Family-friendly appliance innovations can play an integral role in every family's daily kitchen routine, VanderWaal explained.

"Survey results show how the simple activity of baking encourages family togetherness," he said, and LG's line of ProBake Convection™ ranges allows anyone to bake like a pro at home; each oven features a heating element in the rear of the unit (instead of the bottom) that provides consistent and even heating on the top and bottom of every dish.

Children can get more actively involved in mealtime preparations thanks to LG's refrigerators with Door-in-Door® technology, a sealed section of the door that allows easy access to often used foods and condiments. And, with LG's line-up of microwave ovens featuring EasyClean® technology, a patented enamel coating designed to resist most stains, spills and splatters can simply be wiped off – without the use of any harmful chemicals, making it simpler and safer for kids to help with kitchen clean-up.

For more information about new features of today's advanced kitchen appliances help make family time in the kitchen easier, please visit www.LG.com.

Survey Methodology
The independent third-party nationwide online survey was conducted by Kelton between July 27 and Aug. 4, 2015, among 820 parents of children ages 4-17. The margin of error for this survey is plus or minus 3.4 percent.

About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $49 billion global force and technology leader in home appliances, consumer electronics and mobile communications. LG Electronics, a proud 2015 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, sells a range of stylish and innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, mobile phones, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions in the United States, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme.www.lg.com.

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SOURCE LG Electronics USA