How often does your family have dinner together?

[Warph]

How often does your family have dinner together?  That simple question often evokes an answer of, 'Ummmmmm......' What used to be the most basic of activities has become increasingly difficult to schedule in today's busy world.  But bringing back the time-honored practice of 'breaking bread' with your own family could be the single greatest step you take toward saving your family from all kinds of ills..... The pop culture constantly tells parents the pernicious lie that teenagers don't want them around. But teenagers say something very different.... When your children know that your being with them is a priority for you, they feel valued and loved.  They also begin to understand that the sacred bonds of family will sustain them through any challenge life throws at them.

So, how often does your family have dinner together, Howard, KS?

[Jo McDonald]

When I was growing up the family ate every meal together, except when we three siblings were in school - and then all the school children and the teacher ate together.  Fred and I and Teresa and Sherri ate every meal together in the same tradition that we both were raised.
I am a firm believer in "family time" and both of our girls are the same way.  The only time they had any meal in front of the TV was a Saturday morning breakfast at cartoon time  -- and not every Saturday, but some.
I really like evening meals together at the table..lots of fun, love and laughter shared.  There were memories made then that we still talk about after all these years.

[Wilma]

I grew up in the same time period as Jo did and meals were the same.  Everyone that was home was expected to sit at the table to eat.  Lots of times there were more than just family as any of our friends were welcome to eat with us.  We could only all be together in the evening because many times my father's work kept him from being home.  It was the social hour of our day.  We didn't have the radio on during the meal.

Jim and I continued this tradition as much as possible because his work kept him away from home almost 12 hours a day.  We usually had our evening meal when he got home and the girls were expected to be with us unless there was some school reason they couldn't be.  Oh, yes, we always sat at the table.  It was a time to catch up with what everyone was doing.  After the girls were all in homes of their own, Jim and I continued to take our meals at the table at least once a day.  As we got older, we found that my evening meal had to come earlier than what he wanted, so I would have what I wanted and he would fix for himself about an hour before bed time.  Now, I sit down to the noon meal that Daughter prepares for us.  The rest of the day is catch as catch can, or whatever is in the refrigerator.  Sometimes in front of the TV, but more often in the kitchen so the crumbs and spills are more easily cleaned up.  Such is the way of life for the older generation.

[Jane]

When our daughter was growing up it was a hit and miss supper together night. She was into sports and later working so it was when we could.
Now Rex and I eat all our meals together and when Rachael is home we have supper together when she is not with her friends. We do not live in Howard but are there sometimes and we have supper with friends ever chance we get. 

[Ms Bear]

Sitting at the table eating dinner together is what I miss the most since kids are all grown and gone and I am widowed.  Dinner is just food, not a meal to be enjoyed.  I guess I am lucky that I have a group of co-workers that all sit together at lunch and I really enjoy the food with the conversation.

[Tobina+1]

When we're with family, we always eat at the table.  Even lunch at my parents' house is at the table.  Chuck and I usually just eat together on the couch, but once we have kids, we'll eat at the table for sure.  It's hard during the summer (as it was at home) to eat completely together, though, when farm/ranch dads have to work late.

[pepelect]

We eat together way too much..........     The kids always eat at a set time......what ever time we get home from work....It might be 530 or 11 but we eat together mostly every night....The fighting has changed from when I sat at the table with my brothers though.  They aren't near as mean as we were to each other but they have an opinion about every one....

I may live out side of town but I have city kids...They got it easy.  No fields to work.   No chores to do before dinner... No hay to haul.   
Besides how many kids grew up eating at an icecream bar.......

[Joanna]

We always eat together (whoever is living at home anyhow).  When our kids went to sports, we were going too ~ so we still ate together; sometimes at 5:30 and sometimes at 11, just like Pep

[Dale Smith]

Growing up, we always ate meals at the table, together... and the television was turned off.  I'm sliding downhill towards 50 now, and I still believe in that. Even if I'm alone, I sit at either the breakfast room table or the formal dining room.  I often think that we'd all be better off if we turned off the tv and sat together at the table to eat our meals and sat on the porch to enjoy the evening with good conversation, friends and neighbors.  My 2 cents.... ;-)

[greatguns]

Dale, I'm totaly with you on this subject.