Do you have dinner together?

[MagsC]

We try to make sure we do at least a couple times a week. There was a time when we didnt at ALL. So my daughter and I made a pact to cook dinner and eat together, as said, no less than twice a week. Our communication has improved, not that it was real bad to begin with (She is the kind that comes in from school and has to tell me all about her day. She has done that from kindergarten on up to now and I am grateful.)
However, on the weekends we spend with the family (usually every other weekend, multi-generational) we eat every meal together except for maybe breakfast.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

When my kids still lived at home we always ate dinner together. It was a great time to spend talking about the events in their lives.

 

[briana1975]

Quote:
Sorry I didn't put always. I put almost every night cause sometimes something happens, my husband is on the local fire dept and might not be there or one of the kids may go to a friends, or the rare occasion I might be sick and my husband does something really easy like sandwiches.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

There is 1 night a week that we don't. Usually on Monday night, DH is hauling cattle, so he isn't home. Other than that one night, we always eat together and at the dining table. The TV is turned off, we might turn the radio on sometimes, but we ususally just talk.
If we have the Grandkids, we still all eat at the table, and they eat what I prepare, I don't fix different things for everyone.

I cook from scratch nearly all the time. I sometimes will use a packaged side dish, like the pasta dishes, but usually it is all homemade.
When I bake, I do use the refrigerated pie crusts, though. I just can't seem to get a crust correct.

We also have breakfast together, and it never is processed food. I make pancakes and biscuits from scratch. We have eggs from the hens, bacon, sausage or ham from the hogs. We don't even buy cereal, DIL gives us some once in awhile, DH will snack on dry Cheerios during the day once in awhile.

Jean

 

[chocolate m'scovy]

We almost always have dinner together. Other meals are eaten together by all family members who aren't busy or "not hungry." I usually make dinner for my family from scratch. Tonight, we had roast pieces from our Bourbon Red/Narragansett turkeys, fried mushrooms,baked potatoes, and a salad made by my father and sister. For dessert we devoured chocolate/Ritz/coconut bars I had made the day before. (Yes, I know Ritz aren't "scratch.") Would you want to eat a meal like this in solitude? Besides, we enjoy the family conversation. We talk about EVERYTHING.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Almost every night. It can get hard with everyone's schedules. When we have a six o'clock basketball practice or a 6:30 scout meeting things can get a little rushed. My husband trains one night a week as well. But we do manage most nights. I had my niece and nephew here one summer, they said they never ate together. My nephew said his mom and dad ate together, and talked about "important stuff". It made me very sad, that my brother's kids in effect didn't think they were "important stuff". We ma;y not talk that much;, but at least we all touch base on what we did during the day, and say a grace that always asks for the family to be blessed.

 

[Mr chicken dude]

NOOOOOO WAYYYYY!!!!!.........I will never let the chickens eat dinner at the table with us.....

I did vote 'almost always' because even if were just having sandwitches we still eat at the table...

 

[jasonponce]

Almost every night. It is the one time of the day that is ours.

 

[PineappleMama]

By whole family I assume you mean you, your spouse, and any children?

If so, then unless one of them is staying at a friends/grandparents' house then for us it's every night.

Even if we splurge on take out pizza, it is at the table.

Actually, we were having meatloaf a few months back, mashed potatoes, etc. and I had my oldies CD playing on low and I just had a moment... "OMG, when this song* was made people were sitting at their tables, with their families, having this exact same meal... WHOA" It was pretty neat.

* At the time it was Sleepwalk -Santo & Johnny- that was playing... I LOVE that tune... makes me picture mom and dad swaying at the sink as they wash the dishes together... *sigh*

Edit... MASHed potatoes... not MASKed... sheesh... sounds like a bad joke... 'what's a raccoon's favorite vegetable?"

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

If more than one person is home at mealtime, we eat at the table with no distractions(tv, radio, phones, etc). Problems and disagreements are not allowed at the table either. They can wait. Mealtime to us is a time of sharing. When the 2 girls were growing up I was out of town quite a bit. At mealtime they would call me so that I could at least participate in the blessing of the food. The girls still talk about the mobile blessings(as they call it).