Children raised with set mealtimes and bedtimes do better at school, says report

Child yawning Rex Features

Children who grow up with set routines do better at school and become more confident adults, according to a report.

Getting kids into the habit of structured times for eating and going to bed gives them an advantage over kids whose parents are more relaxed.

The report by the Prince's Trust suggested that those with poor exam results were twice as likely to claim their days lacked structure as they grew up.

Researchers spoke to 2,136 16 to 25-year-olds and found that more than a quarter did not have a set bedtime while growing up.

Fourteen per cent of young people said they had grown up without set mealtimes, compared with 30 per cent of those with poor exam grades.

Just over a quarter didn't have a set bedtime when they were growing up, which rose to 39 per cent for those who left school with fewer than five good GCSEs.

The results comes from the charity's latest annual Youth Index, which looks at how young people feel about their lives across a range of areas from family life to physical health.

It also suggested those who felt they "lacked structure and direction" while growing up also appeared to be less content and confident than their peers.

One in three of those with lower qualifications (33 per cent) said they "always" or "often" felt rejected, compared with about one in five young people (22 per cent) overall.

The absence of structure and routine in a young life can have a devastating impact, said Princes Trust chief executive Martina Milburn.

"Without the right support, directionless teenagers can become lost young adults - unconfident, underqualified and unemployed."

What do you think? Do you think set routines are important? Do you try and maintain a routine or is it always sabotaged?

Lovely times children bring us

Eating children's food
 Which parent hasn’t served up kids' favourites like fish fingers and baked beans, then finished up the leftovers or used the children as an excuse to gorge on more ice cream?
Cloud watching
 Before becoming a mum or dad you were too busy to look up. Now, on at least one day a summer, you end up lying on your back in the grass looking at the shapes in the clouds.
Learning stuff
 Tired of being asked how everything works, or what it’s called, you find yourself glad that you’ve made the effort to identify the names of trees or find out how planes can fly.
The magic of Christmas
 Before parenthood the big day saw you watching relatives snoring in front of the TV and getting bad presents. Now you get a thrill making up stockings for excited kids.
Playing with toys
 Before having children if you told your friends you’d spent the weekend playing with a train set or mucking about with Play-Doh they’d have probably had you locked up.
Laughing
 Once you probably had to go to a comedy club to get a good belly laugh. Now, even after a bad day, you find yourself amused at your kids’ antics.
Having picnics
 As a couple you used to eat out quite a bit. Now, short of cash, eating al fresco at a beauty spot not only seems fun, it’s so much easier than trying to make kids behave in restaurants.
Chidren's TV
 At first shows like In The Night Garden seemed weird. Now you’re its biggest fan. Plus you’ve got the excuse to buy that DVD box set of Danger Mouse - really for you, not them.
Child-like activities
 Before your brood came along when was the last time you tried to draw a picture, build a sandcastle or sing a song while walking along the High Street?
Going bonkers for conkers
 When was the last time you picked up the shiny autumn wonders? Now you can’t wait to thread on strings and challenge youngsters to a match.
Creature comforts
 Your life has gone animal crazy. It seems that every other weekend you’re at a zoo chuckling at chimpanzees or stroking rabbits at a kid's farm
Reading classic books
 Suddenly you’ve never done so much reading. You get the chance to enjoy all those classics like Winnie The Pooh and Treasure Island all over again without embarrassment.
Time to yourself
 Those precious nights out with your other half, the rare lie-in or just chilling out on the sofa when the children have gone to bed have never seemed quite so sweet.
Natural wonders
 Since having a child you’ve spent more time looking at flowers than ever before and thanks to jumping in puddles or making snowmen you enjoy the seasons changing more.