Last updated at 01:43 04 March 2008

The family dinner has become a thing of the past in millions of homes.

Only a fifth of families sit down for a meal together at least once or twice a week, a survey has found.

Three-quarters of 1,000 families surveyed said they were so busy they hardly ever found the time to talk through their problems.

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Psychologist Dr Pat Spungin, a parenting expert, said a family should aim to spend at least 20 minutes at the table to help foster meaningful conversations.

She said there were three phases to a meal, all equally important. In the first, communication is mostly practical as the cooking is finished and everyone sits down. Then comes settling in, where the family members exchange small talk.

The final phase is "sweet talk", which Dr Spungin says is crucial to building relationships.

Families need to spend significant time together to enjoy in-depth conversations and share their experiences, stories and worries.

The survey by Heinz showed this time is being eroded - not just by TV but by mobile phones, games consoles and computers, said Dr Spungin.

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She added: "Conversation is the glue of family life. So when families do sit down at the table, it's important they make the most of the time. Talking through family issues is the key to family bonding."