PTO Today National Survey Reveals Importance of Mom Serving as Role Model
WRENTHAM, Mass., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- As school bells ring across the
country, alarm bells should be sounding off at home. The 2005 Report Card on
America's Breakfast Habits reveals that 30 percent of elementary school aged
children are still going to school at least one day per week on an empty
stomach -- showing no improvement from last year's report. In fact,
20 percent are now going to school without breakfast twice a week. This
dangerous trend exists despite parents' acknowledgment that starting the
morning with breakfast -- as easy as a bowl of cereal and milk -- is an
important way to prepare kids to learn.
The Report Card did offer hope and easy solutions. Moms noticed a
positive impact on their children's performance at school when they took the
time to sit down with their kids for breakfast. And, the chances of kids
skipping breakfast when mom partook was reduced by two-thirds. The
conclusion: parents need to make the grade each morning as role models for
their children.
PTO Today, a national parent/teacher organization, in conjunction with the
American Cereal Council, launched The Report Card on America's Breakfast
Habits in response to studies and parent and teacher testimonials linking kids
skipping breakfast to poor performance in the classroom. Research shows that
kids who skip breakfast lose up to a quarter of their daily recommended intake
of critical vitamins and minerals, directly impacting energy levels, memory
and focus. Children who start the day hungry score lower on achievement tests
and have higher absenteeism rates than children who eat breakfast.
Determined to reverse this dangerous trend, PTO Today is mobilizing its
network of 20 million parents and teachers to promote better breakfast habits.
"Parents are the most influential role models in their kids' lives," said Tim
Sullivan, father of three and president of PTO Today. "That's why it's
crucial for them to stress the importance of eating breakfast to help prepare
their kids for school each day. And it doesn't have to be difficult -- a
simple way to get kids off on the right foot is by sitting down together for a
bowl of cereal and milk."
To show the impact of this issue on local communities, PTO Today and the
American Cereal Council conducted two-week in-home surveys with 1,000 families
across the country to complement the Report Card. Participating parents
shared a cereal breakfast with their children every day and recorded changes
in their children's attention spans and school work. The testimonials
confirmed that when the families sat down for a cereal breakfast each day the
results were positive, in and out of the classroom.
Furthermore, the kids' excitement to participate in the survey and eat
breakfast as a family impressed parents. Every family agreed this was a habit
worth keeping.
"At night when I put my daughter to bed she would remind me that we were
going to eat our cereal together in the morning," commented Karen M. of
Augusta, Kansas.
"Cereal was a quick, easy and nutritious breakfast I felt good about
starting the day with. Not spending so much time cooking breakfast left more
time to sit together at the table -- we've definitely started a habit,"
expressed D'lorah W. of Simi Valley, California.
Moms and dads nationwide can take their own two-week cereal challenge on
http://www.americancerealcouncil.org to see how starting the day together at the
breakfast table can positively impact their families.
The Report Card on America's Breakfast Habits is an annual survey designed
to take a serious look at how well parents are preparing their children for
school. A national sample of over 1,000 moms with school-age children 6-12
were asked about their breakfast routine and the importance of their
involvement in their children's education. Parents looking for suggestions on
how to improve their breakfast routine and prepare their kids for school are
encouraged to visit http://www.americancerealcouncil.org or http://www.ptotoday.com for easy
tips and expert advice.
About PTO Today
PTO Today is a trusted voice for parents and a national leader in
promoting parent involvement in schools. PTO Today's national magazine goes
to all 80,000 K-8 schools nation-wide six times per year and focuses on
helping parent group leaders of all stripes (PTOs, PTAs, etc.) build effective
parent groups at their schools. Its outreach to 80,000 "highly involved"
parent group leaders ultimately touches over 20 million parents across the
country. For more information about PTO Today, visit http://www.ptotoday.com.
About The American Cereal Council
The American Cereal Council is a resource to the public and media,
advocating and educating others about the positive benefits of ready-to-eat
cereal. For more information about cereal, visit
http://www.americancerealcouncil.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Courtney Carlisle/Emily Ingle
Manning Selvage & Lee
323.866.6000
courtney.carlisle@mslpr.com
emily.ingle@mslpr.com
SOURCE American Cereal Council
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Related links:
http://www.americancerealcouncil.org
CONTACT:
Courtney Carlisle,
courtney.carlisle@mslpr.com, or Emily Ingle,
emily.ingle@mslpr.com, both of Manning Selvage & Lee,
+1-323-866-6000, for American Cereal Council
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