I just realized that it has been more than a week since my family has sat down together to eat dinner, and this is despite the fact that my husband has actually eaten quite a few meals at dinner time this week.
Normally my husband works until 8 - 11 pm, but this week he has been home more. However, cooking meat for him, his cousin and the boys makes me so nauseaus that I cannot eat anything while everyone else is eating. I know the pregnancy is making it worse, but even when I am not pregnant the smell of meat can get me (a long-time vegetarian) to lose my appetite.
Lately this means that I have either skipped dinner and eaten a piece of fruit instead, or that I have eaten dinner at a later time. Pre-pregnancy dinner was always prioritized very high as a family event, and I sure hope that I will be able to continue that tradition once things return to normal. I doubt that my husband's work hours will change though, but I am going to be shooting for at least one dinner each week, where we all sit down and eat together.
When I first moved in with my husband and his mother I could never get my husband to sit down and eat dinner with me and our son, and it really was not until my husband joined the boys and I in Denmark that he learned to appreciate family dinners. Sitting down at a table together, just was not something my husband had grown up with.
When I was growing up, we would usually always eat dinner together as a family (around the dinner table) during the winter and fall, but once spring and summer set in, my dad would be working in the fields until late and my brothers and I would have soccer practice.
How often do your family sit down together and eat dinner around the dinner table?
Did you grow up with family dinners?
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 52
We ate family dinners most of the time when I was younger, less when I was in my teens because we were all busy.
My older 2 kids are only here part-time, and when they are, we usually eat family dinners. Most of the time, it's just me and Peanut, so we eat whenever.
Jodie, I was the same way when it was just me and Roshane:)
We try to eat dinner together most nights. The only time we can't is when my hubby works late or has late client meetings.
That's great that you eat together Kathy, I bet Maddie loves it when you all sit down together.
Did I grow up with family dinners? LOL That depends on who you ask. My mother says yes. My father, brother and I saw it different. Her idea of a family dinner was meet me at the mall and I'll stop by for 5 minutes in between clients.
We have family dinner as much as possible but with my husband being a police officer and his work schedule it really only ends up being about twice a week.
Chris, it sure sounds like your mother was a busy woman:)
I can imagine that it is difficult to sit down together for a meal when you have a husband, who is a police officer and two busy teenagers.
Growing up, until I left home at 15, my parents, sister and I sat down at the dining room table in the kitchen for almost all meals, especially dinners on weeknights and all three meals each weekend day/night. I'm sinlge with nothing but a cat. I eat late night, after 10-11 PM...my only meal of the day...either at the kitchen counter by the micro-nuker and fridge or at the coffee table in the liing area on front of the TV. The last 'family' meal was at the home of my best friend for Easter. I'll be on my own for meals again until maybe Thanksgiving.
Wow, Rob your family must have been really close. When I lived alone I rarely sat down at the table to eat...it was usually in front of the tv:)
I am the oldest of six children and we always ate dinner together as family. Even if my father was working, my mother insisted that we all eat as a family. I carried on that tradition with my own family, we always ate dinner together at the table. No matter how many are here for dinner now, we always eat at the table.
Sandra, that is great that you have been able to continue the tradition. I do let my boys eat at the coffee table in front of the tv on Friday nights, other than that it is at the dinner table as well.
So sorry you are still dealing with morning sickness. WE didn't eat meals as a family. We do generally now eat meals together although it is in the Living Room.
Desiree I bet your kids will appreciate the family meals one day, if they don't do so already.
I am so sorry to hear you're still getting so sick. You're husband is lucky you're cook meat. Most vegetarians I know would not do that. I do hope your routine returns. I always did this growing up and I think now it's a tradition that is becoming more valued.
Amanda, fortunately the nausea no longer results in vomiting, which means I am actually gaining a bit of weight....the belly is becoming huge:)
Before my husband and I had Roshane we made a deal. He would never bug me about eating meal, but once we had children I would make sure that they did eat meat (if they wanted to). My husband is a huge meat fan, but he has been true to his word and so have I. My boys are not huge meat fans, but they have their favorites, and they certainly eat more meat than I did as a child.
When I was little my family always ate dinner together. As we've gotten older (us kids) we've migrated away from it to dinner together only 1-2 times a week because of our schedules
Rebecca, I remember how it became more difficult to get everyone to be home at the same time once we became older.
I'm also in college for most of the year too, so the only time I can eat with my family is on the few holidays I get and summer vacation.
If I wanted a family dinner I had to wait for a holiday or eat over at a neighbor's house. My dad worked all the time and my mother barely ate regular meals back then. I'd usually have my dinner on a TV tray in front of the TV.
Marianne, I think this is becoming more of the norm. Whenever we have someone from my husband's family come to visit they are usually very surprised that we sit down at the dinner table:)
We had dinner as a family most nights while I was growing up. I live myself now so most nights dinner is front of the TV. When my brother and sister-in-law lived with me we had dinner together at the table.
being so busy we've been having a lot of lunch meat and hotdogs...that got old really fast. Liz and I just went to the store and bought some other types of food for the next 2 nights.
Whether with someone or by yourself, food is eaten at the kitchen table.
We always ate family dinners too...it was important to my parents.
We always ate dinner together as a family growing up and I continue that tradition with my own family.
I grew up eating dinner with the family every night and loved that time together. I do it still with the girls, even if I have to go out afterwards. We have a regular Sunday family dinner too where my dad and brothers all come over to eat.
When I was growing up, eating together at dinner was a family priority. Of course my dad was really strict about dinner. It had to be on the table when he got home at 4:30pm or within 5 minutes or else my mom was in trouble. I don't know why we ate dinner together cause most of the time my dad was a grouch anyways.
When my hubby worked out of town dinner was whatever we could find (between school and other activities, I never could find time to grocery shop). Now that he is home all the time, we have dinner as a family at least 5 nights a week if not more.
When I was growing up, we ate a family dinner every single night. It was not even an option to do otherwise. It was nice, and gave us a few moments together to catch up on our day.
When my kids were small, we had family dinner every night. As they got older, got jobs, had school activities...family dinners went away. Also, many nights my husband was working second shift. About the only time we have a family dinner now is on a holiday or special occasion. Sad.
As far as me , Eric and James every night. As far as my family never
We do every night except thursday as that is the night drake spends with nana. Fri it is more a snack then dinner.
Most nights we have dinner pretty close together. Since my daughter is a vegeterian, her meal might come first or last depending on how hungry she is.
It depends...we usually all eat together...
We eat in front of the TV or my husband sits at his desk :)
Since I don't live near my family anymore, I eat most meals in front of the computer. But every so often when we're all together my family and I will have a nice meal (usually for a special occasion). Our next planned one will be in honor of my father's birthday; it should be a great memorial meal.
The only reason we were allowed to skip a family meal at the table was if we were to sick to get out of bed or in the hospital, otherwise there was no excuse good enough. I continued it on with my own kids, just not as strict as my Dad now the kids are grown I really miss family time at the dinner table.
When my family were children, we always ate dinner together. When they got older, it was still expected, unless they had a valid reason not to eat with us.
Nowadays it is just us two and we eat dinner at the dining table almost every evening. I always ensure there is a centrepiece and flowers on the table. We often have huge family sunday lunches (can be 10 or more of us round the table) with traditional roast beef/yorkshire puds etc.
We try, at least a few nights a week. My husband usually gets home too late to wait, so Elliott and I often eat dinner, and then Elliott will go back and pick off my husband's plate too. :)
I was lucky to get dinner as a kid, little own eat it together as a family. My mom's cooking was horrible when I was younger so that is sort of a good thing!
I like doing it now, even though there is only usually the two of us. I hope that you can eat with everyone soon, even if you aren't eating the same dish:)
I rarely recall eating together as a family, but it's something we do now. USUALLLY the kids know the TV goes off and we sit and have dinner at the table. On occasion we let them watch TV if something special is on.
We never really had a family dinners at my family, because my dad was a vet and they would always call him around dinner and he had to go. But I remeber that we would always sit together at weekend lunch , no matter what. It could be people calling, but this time was just for our family. Now me and my husband would always eat dinner together.
Elliott and I almost always eat at the table. We try to eat at least one meal a day with my husband at the table with us, too. Depending on what shift he works, the meal we eat together varies.