National Survey Reveals Importance of Mom Serving as Role Model

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.

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.