The Week Junior celebrates its 10th anniversary

The Week Junior turns ten!

The Week Junior has been helping children aged 8 to 14 make sense of the world for ten years now, empowering young minds to explore, dream, and believe in their potential.

To mark this milestone, The Week Junior commissioned research into family conversations, to find out how parent-child interactions are changing. The study, which surveyed 2,000 British families with children aged between 8-16 years old, found that the great British family dinner – once the heart of household conversation – is now in sharp decline.

The research reveals that mobile phones and hectic schedules are sidelining family conversations at dinner time, while a heavy news agenda makes it even harder for parents to tackle topical discussions with their children around the table.

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Screens are increasingly creeping into mealtimes, with over three-quarters (77%) of families admitting to having phones at the table. Over half of children (51%) are actively on their devices while eating, and two-thirds (66%) say they'd actually prefer watching TV or using a screen over having a conversation with a parent.

Dr Elizabeth Kilbey says: “In a world that's more connected yet increasingly disconnected, dinner time provides a powerful platform for fostering essential conversations and personal understanding. The Week Junior recognises that these moments of shared dialogue are crucial for building strong family bonds and enhancing critical thinking in our children. It's these simple, daily interactions that can make a significant impact, not just in strengthening family ties but in cultivating a generation equipped to lead empathetically and thoughtfully. Let's pave the way for a future where every voice is heard, starting right at home.”

Vanessa Harriss, Editor of The Week Junior, adds: “At The Week Junior, we know how imaginative and curious kids are. In our fast-paced daily lives, being able to spend time together as a family can be a challenge – and the digital distractions are ever more insistent. As our research shows, quality time spent together over the dinner table is vital for families. Whether it’s chatting about everyday things or discussing what’s going on in the news, these family conversations boost children’s development and their wellbeing. That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to talk a little more as families. As part of our 10^th anniversary celebrations, The Week Junior is also getting even bigger. With an extra four pages every week, we’ll be including conversation starters for our young readers – because taking time to talk makes everyone feel happier.”

Whatever the topic, once kids understand something, they get a real confidence boost – and learn that their voice matters. But the good news doesn’t stop there – a whole decade of parents have told us that reading The Week Junior sparks brilliantly enjoyable conversations wherever they are – in the car, out on a walk, around the kitchen table.

Talking matters. It bonds us with our kids, teaches them how to express their opinions, and enables them to develop critical thinking about the world they’re growing up in… all vital skills they’ll need for a brighter future.

So try The Week Junior’s unique mix of news, nature, science, sport and puzzles today. You never know where the conversations it inspires could take you so subscribe today, and get your first 10 issues for just £10!