Oser Communications Group

GENERAL NEWS www.kitchenwarenews.com n APRIL 2016 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW 3 General News Survey Finds Children Joining Parents in the Kitchen 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 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). Survey respondents also indicated that their children are proud or excited about the meal if they've helped to prepare it and their children get a boost of confidence when they help cook. Some of the things they're asked to do to help prepare the meal include 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. W hen 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). 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). KN SPARQ Home Creates Location-Specific Designs SPARQ Home has recently taken to supporting local. As SPARQ began brainstorming shapes to cut for its new slate products, the idea to cut designs that cater to individual cities came to mind. For six months, SPARQ allowed any customer to send in their custom request to have their shape idea turned into a Slate Cork Topper, Slate Wine Note, Slate Wall Note or Slate Cheese Board. Shapes like bicycles and mustaches for the ever-so-trendy Portland popped up, along with anchors, sailboats and lighthouses for East Coast cities. Forest creatures like foxes and bears and greenery such as spruce, pine, oak and elm trees for scenic and mountain towns were also popular. Music notes for cities like Nashville and Austin were created as well and have shown much popularity. "In a sense, we're giving back to our customers. We've allowed them to come to us and say 'this is what we want' and we've been able to provide it," explained SPARQ partner, Justin English. "It's been interesting to see what each city has wanted to have represented." For more information, go to www.sparqhome.com or call 303.800.6591. KN

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