Kids Need Routine

A NEW study from the Prince's Trust has underlined the importance of a structured upbringing in children.

It found that a quarter of the 2,136 young people aged 16 to 25  surveyed claimed they did not have a set bedtime while growing up.
This rose to 39 per cent among those who left school with fewer than five A*-C grades at GCSE. Young people with poorer grades were also more than twice as likely as their peers to say they did not have regular meal times.

There was also a despair among the jobless generation of young people who have left school or university and are struggling to find employment.

The absence of any structure has a knock-on effect into adulthood. Young people who said they "lacked structure and direction" while growing up lacked the confidence of their peers.

The chief executive of the Prince's Trust, Martina Milburn, said: "The absence of structure and routine in a young life can have a devastating impact. Directionless teenagers can become lost young adults – unconfident, underqualified and unemployed."

Almost a third of young people felt depressed, while one in five said they felt "rejected" and believed they did not receive the support they needed at school.

There have already been concerns raised by teachers about the increasing numbers of children coming to lessons too tired to work and concentrate.  The reasons?  Staying up late the previous night watching TV or playing computer games.

Child development experts have warned that the influence of screen-based technology on the brains of young children can harm their prospects for success at school.

The Prince's Trust said it aimed to help 50,000 disadvantaged young people this year across the UK.