Do you eat dinner with your children?

[gingersmom]

My town is promoting that this week you should eat dinner as a family.

 

They have signs up about it, its in the local paper and huge banners hanging downtown.

 

My daughter thinks the whole thing is very weird being we eat dinner together 7 nights/week (plus lunch and breakfast).

 

I told her they are trying to get parents more involved in their children's lives and just have the whole family sit and actually talk to each other (as opposed to be passing on the way from one activity to another).

 

How often do you sit down to dinner together?

[creekland]

We eat dinner/supper together almost always. The rare occasions come when hubby and I go out to eat by ourselves (generally once a month on our anniversary day).

 

We move our meal times to accommodate events going on in people's lives. I wouldn't sacrifice eating supper together.

[KrissiK]

Yes, generally.

[Jenny in Florida]

We used to feel the same way: How weird that people have to be told that?

 

But as my kids have gotten older and more involved in things out in the community, the number of nights we're home for dinner has dwindled.

 

Nowadays, my son's schedule looks like this:

 

Mondays - Choir rehearsal until 7:00 with a 30-minute drive home. My husband eats before we arrive.

 

Tuesdays - Dance class until 5:30 with a 45-minute drive home. I prep as much as I can before we leave, and we eat together once we get there.

 

Wednesdays - Dance class until 7:00. My husband eats before we get home.

 

Thursdays - Dance class from 6:30 - 7:30. If my husband gets home early enough, we eat a quick dinner together before I leave with our son. However, we have theatre tickets often during the week, which means missing dance classes. If he's missed a class the previous week, he takes a class from 5:30 - 6:30 as a make up, in which case my husband eats whatever I prep for him.

 

Fridays - Usually home, unless we have tickets for something. We try to eat a "real dinner' those nights.

[Jenny in Atl]

Yup... Even when I go into the studio Sun/Mon nights, we eat together early.

[elegantlion]

Yes, we do on most nights. When dh travels sometimes ds and I eat alone. Some nights we eat in the living room. But yes, family dinner time is important to us.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Thats really sad that they town has to promote that. We eat breakfast lunch and dinner together 7 nights a week (generally-- there have been rare exceptions) `Dh does travel for work but even then the kids and I do. Its sad how disconnected families are these days :001_huh:

[amo_mea_filiis.]

We eat together every night.

[blessdmommy]

We eat together every night.

 

:iagree: same here

[Tarreymere]

I can't think of a meal in the last few months at least that we didn't have as a family, except DH isn't here during the week for lunch. If more people homeschooled then all of the activities kids like to be involved in wouldn't have to be scheduled at dinner time!

 

Can you see THAT advertising campaign?

[Karen in CO]

Every day.

[JudoMom]

We usually eat together 5-6 nights a week. Dh takes one boy out once a week, and on that night the boys at home with me eat dinner while watching a movie or playing computer games. And dh will often have to work late once a week or so, and on those nights the boys do the same thing. I don't really cook if dh isn't here to eat it, because the boys don't really appreciate it.

[myfunnybunch]

We sit down to dinner every night.

 

We think of breakfast and dinner together as bookends to our day. :)

 

Cat

[DarlaS]

Every night except the two nights dh is at college. (Last semester! Yay!!:hurray:)

[Ellie]

Well, although I don't know why most homeschoolers *wouldn't* eat dinner with their dc, I'm not as determined to do so as non-homeschooling families, seeing as how we're together all.day.long, KWIM?

 

I think it's sort of weird for money to be spent (tax money? donations? where does that money come from, anyway???) to tell people they should eat meals with their families.

[TammyinTN]

DH has been taking a class 2 nights a week...so every night except those two we have a family dinner around 6:30pm. Those two nights we each a sandwich in the den and watch tv together. ;)

[happypamama]

We almost always eat dinner as a family. It never really occurred to us not to do so. Once in a very grand while, if DH is working particularly late, I'll feed the kids and myself separately, or if dinner isn't ready early enough on a night that one of us has a meeting, the one with the meeting will eat later or grab something separately, but everyone else eats together. Even on DD's ballet night, when she and I leave at about 5:00 and get home around 7:30, we eat as a family when she and I get home. Dinner is a family event.

[Dawn in OH]

We eat together every night. Dad often misses dinner because he's sleeping and works 3rd shift. The last time we didn't eat together was because my husband and I were going to a dinner party. The kids ate with our babysitters as we got dressed to go out.

 

I imagine some day there will be times where we don't eat together as a family because of activities, but it certainly won't be a regular thing.

[BlessedMom]

Yes we eat dinner together every evening. :)

[nukeswife]

I guess I'm the oddball.

 

I would say we eat together 1-2 nights a week. With some of the classes the kids take 2 nights a week are a rush to find something after we finally get back from gymnastics. Many nights my kids want to eat together in another room and watch a show while doing so, and dh and I will eat together and discuss our days and the news. My kids are with me all day and usually spend time with dh (when he's not on deployment) after dinner, so during dinner just isn't needed.

 

Like I said I guess we're just odd or weird.

[Mom-ninja.]

We eat together every day. DH doesn't have breakfast or lunch with us though.

[Storm Bay]

My town is promoting that this week you should eat dinner as a family.

 

They have signs up about it, its in the local paper and huge banners hanging downtown.

 

My daughter thinks the whole thing is very weird being we eat dinner together 7 nights/week (plus lunch and breakfast).

 

I told her they are trying to get parents more involved in their children's lives and just have the whole family sit and actually talk to each other (as opposed to be passing on the way from one activity to another).

 

How often do you sit down to dinner together?

 

Not that often because we're often out then. However, we do spend a lot of time together as a family.

[Pretty in Pink]

I eat dinner with my children six nights per week. They attend AWANA on Friday nights, so I feed them early and then dh and I go out to dinner together after we drop them off. I eat lunch with them five times per week; they attend daycare two afternoons per week while I am in school.

 

My dh eats with the children four nights per week; he has school two nights per week, plus the night of AWANA.

[Anita in NC]

We always eat dinner as a family unless hubby gets stuck really late at work. Even then I eat dinner with the kids at the table.

 

Since we get up at different times we tend to have a fend for yourself style breakfast.

 

I cook lunch for the kids during the week and we eat together. Hubby eats his lunch at work.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I eat dinner with the kids every night. Dh usually does too, except for Mondays, when he has choir and goes shopping. He also sometimes has to work late, especially when a big deadline is coming up.

[Mynyel]

We eat every meal together. I am pretty much the only one that cooks so... We don't eat at the table together. It is full of school stuff :glare::D. But we eat in the living room/kitchen together.

[anissa]

Sadly, no. Between soccer, track, church, basketball, and band (as well as a variety of other obligations) we do not eat many dinners as a family. However, we spend A LOT of time together learning, playing, and just hanging out. Most of the activities we are in begin at 5:00 to accommodate working parents. I think the idea behind the 'eat dinner with your family' week is great - be together more.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The kids and I eat dinner together every night. Dh is with us most nights but there are some nights where he has to work late or has to go directly to church from work due to traffic and will eat on the way.

 

One of the lessor reasons we gave up gymnastics (money was the big reason) was that it was interfering with our ability to eat together as a family. It just made things too rushed. Dinner is our time to get together more socially rather than the more chore/school driven daytime activities.

[Mom0012]

No, and I feel terribly guilty about it. It has been one of my resolutions to have us eat dinner together regularly as a family, but I just can't seem to do it.

 

For one, I am not usually hungry for dinner. I eat a light breakfast and a big lunch and then just nibble a little for dinner. If I sit down for a meal, I will definitely eat more and I am reluctant to do that because I'd have to eat less at lunch (when I'm starving) or I'd gain weight.

 

For two, I do read to the kids for an hour at breakfast and sometimes at lunch. I spend every second of my day doing something for or with one of them until around 1:30 and then I'm running them to lessons somewhere or a playdate. By the time I have finished preparing dinner, I desperately want to be alone!

 

I used to actually be better about it (like do it 3 times a week) when my stepdaughter was still living with us. She went to public school and was away all day and the only time we'd really have together was dinnertime, so it felt important.

 

Lisa

[Carrie12345]

Once in a while.

 

But I believe I'm eligible for an exemption by virtue of being home with them all day, so there.

[Ibbygirl]

everyday.

[Julie Smith]

Sort of. What often happens is we are all in the kitchen together for awhile. My dh is the only meat eater in the family. My dh is also trying to loss weight when the rest of us are fine eating stuff bad for him. My kids wouldn't eat some of the things dh and I like because it's to spicy.

 

What happens some nights is we are all in the kitchen together for awhile. But one of is cooking well the rest eat. Or I feed the kids early because they are hungry and wouldn't like what we are having.

 

But every day we try to do a physical activity as a family. I consider that the important family time of the day. I just often don't like visiting as a family of 4. It seems the conversation just frustrates me. My youngest, and to a degree my eldest just love to talk to Daddy non stop. So dh and I can't say much to each other. And if I do start a conversation it's always seems to be interrupted "Pass the whatever. Please pour me more. ..."

 

So we aim for a family time of a hour or more a day, but usually not around the dinner table or food related.

[Danestress]

Often dinner ends up being at 9:00 when everyone gets home, and then DH ends up doing dishes until late. It's not ideal, but my children are in sports that go pretty late some nights.

 

I spend enough time with them that I am not feeling guilty. We are a pretty close family. I don't really need an advertising campaign aimed at telling me how to manage my family life either. Who paid for that one?

[ScoutTN]

7 nights a week, under normal circumstances. :D

[iona]

rarely

dh's schedule has him either sleeping during dinner, working during dinner, or getting home late (7ish) i'll get the kids their food and usually be busy with dishes or just sitting on the couch in the other room. for one of my dc at least when he is eating is the only time he is not talking or moving. we usually sit down to eat on thanksgiving, easter, Christmas, some other family meal related holiday, on my husband's days off and if we are grabbing food on the go (we are all sitting down together and eating:tongue_smilie:).

[flobee76]

yes... every night. :001_smile:

[houseofkids&pets]

I eat dinner with my children every night, but my dh has to work late 3 nights a week. On the evenings he is not with us, we have a family read aloud at the end of the meal (usually just fun, silly books) because it is a time when I have all 3 sitting together at once (ds11 who has autism, dd11, and ds8). It's just nice "family time" and everyone looks forward to it.:001_smile:

[joannqn]

Almost every day.

 

Once a month (at most), I leave before dinner to attend a Monday night meeting and potluck. I miss six dinners a year because I go on two weekend retreats. When I'm not home for dinner, DH and the kids still sit down and eat together.

 

I cannot imagine not eating dinner together. Twice a week, dinner is at 8pm or later due to DS's taekwondo schedule. We eat late rather than eating separately.

[Ginevra]

Almost every night, we eat dinner as a family. Most lunches, we eat together (except dh), although we don't necessarily eat the same thing.

 

The only nights we don't eat dinner as a family are when scheduling conflicts happen and dh is taking a child one way at 6:00 and I'm taking another child another way at 7:00. Right now, our Wednesdays are this way, but it will change when baseball is over.

 

Family dinners are very important to me. We didn't have them in my family (after about age 10 or so); dh had them almost always. I latched onto this aspect of his heritage and am determined to have family dinners as much as it's humanly possible.

[Hikin' Mama]

My oldest goes to the local community college, but he is still home for dinner with us almost every night. (It' free, you know :D). My 16 yo only misses dinner with us if he's got a cross country or track meet. My daughter is always here, unless she's at a friends on a weekend night.

[silliness7]

I guess I'm the oddball.

 

I would say we eat together 1-2 nights a week. With some of the classes the kids take 2 nights a week are a rush to find something after we finally get back from gymnastics. Many nights my kids want to eat together in another room and watch a show while doing so, and dh and I will eat together and discuss our days and the news. My kids are with me all day and usually spend time with dh (when he's not on deployment) after dinner, so during dinner just isn't needed.

 

Like I said I guess we're just odd or weird.

 

I'll be odd with you. My dh is an only child raised by a single mom who worked food service. Sit down meals as a family were not in his paradigm. It was something I was always fighting against when we were married. He also didn't prefer home cooked meals as he had a taste for food service food and fast food. It was discouraging. But I hung in there. Then the dc started coming and the whining and complaining about what was for supper...well it drove me bonkers after about 8 years. I do think I put up a good fight.

 

But, well...I am with them all.day.long. And there is enough fighting about writing and reading and math that I just want some dang peace and quiet when I sit down and eat my supper.

 

So between dh accustomed to doing his own thing and the kids' complaining and my general fatigue we do NOT sit down and eat together. Oh, and also we do not have a table big enough for the 9 of us. Well, we can squish O.K. but we have to drag chairs in from all over the house and that gets old real fast!:glare: Plus I've been counting calories since January (lost 21 pounds so far...WooHoo) and I try to eat late so that I'm not tempted to go over count before it's bedtime.

[dakarimom5]

Most of our meals are eaten together except when a child gets up before everyone else! My DH comes home for lunch when he is working and we eat together.

[momofkhm]

How often do you sit down to dinner together?

 

I sit down with them 4 nights a week until my small group thing at church is finished, and then we'll be back to 5. But once the girls finish soccer (in another month) we'll be back to 7. The one night I'm not with them, dh is. Oh and when the girls are at soccer I am at dinner with ds.

[Caitilin]

As a rule, yes, we always eat together for dinner, and the kids and I often eat lunch together. Breakfast is a catch-as-catch-can affair, each person eating when she gets up.

[mcconnellboys]

We do eat as a family, but I've read recently that the percentage of families who still do this is very, very low!

[Mejane]

We only eat together three nights a week due to the kids' dance schedule.

[LaissezFaire]

Probably 95% of the time. Lunch too.

[LaissezFaire]

Once in a while.

 

But I believe I'm eligible for an exemption by virtue of being home with them all day, so there.

 

Aren't most of us home with them all day? ;)

[LidiyaDawn]

It's quite rare that we do the whole family-at-the-table-together thing… dh didn't grow up that way and he prefers to just veg for a while when he gets home from work -- for him, coming in the door and heading right for the table with supper and a bunch of chatter is NOT relaxing… he likes to sit down, have a beer, play a video game, and just chill. He'll eat later, when he's relaxed and actually hungry. It's his wind-down time and I respect that.

 

Sometimes we'll pull it off on the weekend if we're all here and everyone feels like eating at the same time, but not always.

 

Every family has to do what works best for them. :D

[MariannNOVA]

We basically eat dinner together every night. Every few weeks, dh and I will join another couple for dinner - either with or without ALL the kids -- if it's just the adults, the kids stay at the other couples' house and we get them pizza. THAT happens infrequently.