I'm curious (RE:Dinner time)

[ColleenSwerb]

So Heather posted a link to this article on FB (I think it was Heather anyway, lol!), and it got me curious.
How many of you do family dinners? Do you eat at the table or on the couch? How often? Etc, etc, etc.

Growing up, even through High School, if you were home for dinner, you were sitting at the dining room table eating as a family. We didn't have cell phones back then (or not for most of the time), but we never answered the phone during dinner (it was always telemarketers anyway, lol!). My mom made one meal, and you had to eat a few bites of it even if you didn't like it. If you didn't like it, you made yourself PB&J. We drank milk 90% of the time, unless we were having italian, lol. You HAD to finish your glass of milk, or you weren't allowed to leave the table.
That was it. No making 3 different meals for various picky eaters, no texting during dinner, no distracted tv watching.

It's so DIFFERENT now, isn't it? I mean I know times change and all, but I hope to do the same thing with my kids. (I know, I know, wait til I have kids and that plan gets thrown out the window, lol.)

I was just curious what everyone else does. Right now we usually don't even eat together (which I know am going to work on changing), and if we do it's in the living room while watching tv.

[Darcy Baldwin]

We eat at the table, sometimes with the TV on, sometimes not. It depends on when dinner is and if one of 'our' shows are on since we don't have a DVR. Our dinner times are wonky because of Tae Kwon do.

There are never cell phones or mp3 players allowed at the table. Books are allowed at lunchtime if I'm not doing a read aloud.

I don't make other meals, but will make a cheese taco for the little guy if I know what we're having is something he hates. Otherwise, he eats a few bites, period. We don't ever require finishing a plate. No milk served with supper meals, else little guy fills up on milk and refuses to eat. Dessert is allowed if we see you made a valiant effort at dinner.

[ColleenSwerb]

Yea, I prob won't do the forced "finish your milk" thing. It made me never want to drink milk for forever, lol. I only just started drinking milk more regularly (although admittedly that's because Jordan won't let me eat cookies for dessert unless I have a tall glass of milk, LOL!). We're not a big dessert family, so that was never a big thing for us.

I def understand the problems various activities can cause. I have 2 siblings, so someone was always running somewhere. We actually got lucky once we all hit middle school. All of our after-school activities/practices usually went until 5:30. So we all took the 5:30 bus home, and would eat around 6:30 as a family. If someone had a game, the rest of the family ate together. My parents never really let our activities get in the way of family dinner, and it's only now, years later, that I appreciate it.

[emmasmommy]

oh gosh. dinner time is family time in our house. that's the only 'real' meal i cook in a day. you have to try it if it's something new. if you don't like it, i'll get you a bowl of cereal or a pb&j or something but i refuse to make 2 separate meals (although, i will if i make something i KNOW they don't like...like when i make tacos). we always 'wait for friends' (until everyone's done) and if you don't finish your meal you don't get any dessert or snack after dinner. that rule applies for any meal here. i let them pick what they want to drink but as long as it's not pop i usually don't care.

no cell phones at the table, no magazines, we don't have a tv in there so that doesn't apply. that's the only time we really get to talk about the day so it's ours. if DH is still at work or whatever all rules still apply.

[Leontine78]

It's only me and my bf here.....and we eat at the couch with tv on.
Sometimes I hate it....then you never talk. Fortunately we have other moments we talk a lot.

But I guess when we are having kids, it all will be different somehow.

[nesser1981]

We're getting better about it. The kids eat dinner at the table every night and we eat with them 3 or 4 nights a week. Sometimes its more, or less. Depending on what's been going on. If I'm lazy and we get take out I always watch TV while we eat. It was something I'm trying to get better at, eating at the dinner table.

[Megan Turnidge]

We don't have enough chairs to all sit at the table together (even though there are only 3 of us.... sigh). One of us (DH or I... DD is not allowed ot eat on the carpet) will eat on the couch or sometimes on the tile floor because Allie likes to tell us we can only eat on the tile. haha One day I'll have enough chairs and then it will be a goal for us all to sit down together for dinner each night.

[MissKim]

We have family dinner. My husband works late M-Th, but the kids and I still sit down and eat dinner together. Water to drink 99% of the time, TV off, no phones/cell phones. It's kind of one of our non-negotiables. Even if I'm just grabbing fast food or ordering pizza, we still sit at the table and eat together.

We do eat lunch in front of the TV, especially on days like today when the kids and I are home for a snow day (and all summer long). We each make our own lunches, too... including the 10 year old. Lunch is very light here.

Dinner is usually a full blown meal. I'll cook or my 14 y.o. dd will cook, or we'll do it together. My two oldest are fairly picky -- son doesn't eat much meat and dd only eats what she deems healthy -- so they are welcome to eat something else. However, they must fix it themselves and it must be ready at the same time the main meal is ready. Last week when I was at the hospital for a portion of each day, I only missed dinner once. Otherwise, I ran home, ate dinner, then went up to the hospital. The one time I was going to totally miss it, my BIL made sure someone took over for 2 hours so I could come home and eat with my kids. That's how important it is to us. It's the one thing I can do to keep our family together.

[Leila]

We all sit at the table for dinner too. Like Darcy, Devin will get a quesadilla or some frozen thing he likes if I know he just loathes what we're having for dinner. (D loathes a lot of what I make--but he also has serious sensory issues surrounding food. If he gets something else, he usually make it himself.) Three bites of anything new is suggested but not required, and drinks are the diner's choice. I prefer them to have water, but they often pick juice or soda. Milk is only for cereal in our house, that's not a dinner option.

On rare occasions, we'll feed the boys early and eat something alone later. Even when we feed them early, we still sit at the table with them. It's our time to decompress from the day, talk about things that are on our minds or just have a fun conversation.

[tuneskids]

Dinner is our only meal together during the week. We all sit at the dining room table (the only table). No tv, no phones, no distractions. I only make 1 meal, if you don't like it, too bad for you. lmao We don't offer dessert as a usual thing, it's more like a treat on rare occasions around here. I rarely make meals that are disliked (Jenna has a dislike for rice, but she will eat it).
I do serve the kids milk, but meal time is the only time they get it. And they all like it. They each get half of a glass full, and can have more after they have eaten at least half of their meal. Des and I are both lactose intolerant, so we don't drink it.

I am very thankful my children will eat just about anything put in front of them!

Breakfast - the kids eat at the table together, I eat in the living room at the computer (I am not a morning person, and they are too loud for me in the morning). Lunch - the middles eat at school, Des & Quin eat before I get home from work, so I eat alone after I drop Quin off at school - on no school days, we usually eat together, informally, at the table. Lunch is usually whatever the person wants, I don't care if it's 5 different things, they get to make it themselves (Quin gets help, of course).

[HeatherKS]

We started making family dinnertime a priority in the past year. It's the only meal of the day that I actually make and about the only time that we're all together for a meal. Between weekends (when it's sometimes lunch instead of dinner) and weekdays, we average 5-6 meals around the table as a family. There is no TV, no DSi, no phone allowed at the table, we pray before we begin, you eat what is fixed, and everyone sits until everyone else is finished. We always ate dinner as a family growing up and I really think that time is important to our kids. I learn some pretty great stuff about my kids' days around the dinner table!

[Tracyfish]

L.J. and I eat at the table for every dinner that we eat at the house because hubby doesn't get home until after 7:00 usually...too late for L.J. to eat. The TV is always on on the other side of the room.

I don't fix two meals...eat what's there. If I make something L.J. doesn't like (like chili or soup...he hates anything "melty") then I will make him something like a quesadilla or chicken nuggets.

[nikkiARNGwife]

We eat together every night as a family (when DH is home). I also eat lunch at the table with Ella and usually breakfast as well.

DH and I have always eaten together at the table even before we had kids..I was raised that way...supper was always eaten together at the table every night and we ate what was there or we didn't eat. I try to enforce that with my kids as well and usually do unless we have something that I know Avery truly doesn't like then I will fix him a pb&j as I'm making our dinner (can't blame the kid if he doesn't like crab legs or something lol). But 99.9 percent of the time he eats what we eat or nothing...and I have sent him to bed with nothing before..he didn't die or anything lol.

We just moved Ella out of her high chair and into a booster and so many times over the past week or so since the switch I've sat with my family at the table and just felt so blessed as they laughed and chatted away. I totally agree it's a very important thing we do together.

[Paula]

We eat dinner together on TV trays in the living room and this is mainly because our dining room is a complete wreck right now. We're repainting it, and there is stuff everywhere.

I don't make extra meals for my kids. They are old enough that if they don't like what I have made, they can make them something else. My DS is the pickiest eater, and if I make something he doesn't like, he'll make himself a quesadilla or some ramen.

[jessica31876]

we dont eat at the table but we do talk during dinner and everyone eats in the same room (the living room). The tv is actually on nearly all day long but we dont really pay attention to it during dinner. Dinner is usually between 5 and 7 every night.

[melmos75]

We eat dinner (or supper as we call it) together everyday at the kitchen table. We actually eat later, around 6:30 - 7:00 for this purpose because DH doesn't get home until then. We can't see the TV from the table so there is no TV and my children are not old enough for cell phones (although that is just around the corner.)

I make only one meal. I will not cater to children that don't like what I make - I just don't have the time. The only time that I will make something different is for my 2 year old that can't eat what we are eating, but that is getting fewer and farther in between as he gets older. Everyone has milk to drink (and every once and a while chocolate milk) unless we don't have it in the house (with 3 boys and a DH, we go through almost a gallon of milk a day and I sometimes can't keep up with keeping it stocked.) If milk is not available, then it is whatever is in the house.

[kristijoy]

We always eat dinner together. I have one kid - 4 years old. He's in the pretty simple food phase. I do cook something special for him, but it's always a variation on what DH & I are having. So if DH & I are having onion and chard frittata then the little guy gets a scrambled egg. If we have burritos with all the fixing the little guy gets a cheese quesadilla. I always make a full meal so that DH & I have something to enjoy & the little guy sees what we eat and experiences it. It's cute to see him start to use his napkin (and put it on his lap) and ask for things to be passed to him (like the ketchup!). It's tricky to carry on a long conversation with a 4 year old, though we always try. Sometimes we succeed. Often I read a little picture book which sparks conversation. This morning I read "The Bear Snores On" and then we ended up talking about why bears hibernate and how other animals & people survive the winter.

[Leah]

We eat dinner at the kitchen table, as a family. No distractions (other than Ethan's crazy antics). Sometimes if DH has to work late, it's still me and the kids and we eat together. Occasionally, we'll do a "treat" night and eat dinner downstairs and watch a movie - but it's still as a family.

At our house, you eat what's served or you'll be hungry. Period.

[cheltzey]

We eat dinner together at 6:30 when Aaron comes home from work. No books (although I would be the guilty party if it were allowed!), no phones, no TV, no computers. Everyone eats the same thing, and if they don't like it, they can go hungry. ONLY EXCEPTION is if I'm cooking eggs (which makes DS throw up) or if I know that it's way too spicy for them (and that's got to be quite spicy). In those circumstances I'll offer a PB&J. But that only happens every few months. Everyone has milk or water, although milk is nearly always chosen. You must at least try everything, and no dessert unless you've made a valiant effort. You stay at the table until you're dismissed, and then if you go, no hanging around at the table, because that's annoying. It seems strict, but I think it's definitely successful. My kids are 5, 4, and 2 and are very well behaved at the table. My 2 oldest are great eaters, and even if they don't like it, they're not allowed to make rude comments. Kids definitely get it.

[ajfries]

We typcially eat dinner as a family at the table. We have been eating in front of the tv the last week or so, but that's going to stop real quick. Growing up we all ate at the table, no tv, no answering the phone & we could drink either milk or water. And we had to clean our plates most of the time. If it was something we didn't like, we had to at least try it.

My sister & I are both semi-picky eaters. But we ate what was put in front of us. My mother did not make 4 different meals. And I don't plan on doing that either. I think doing a variation is fine (spaghetti, no sauce etc.) but for the most part, they'll either eat what I lovingly prepared or go hungry.

[luckyme]

We eat dinner at the dining table together every night of the week (well, except Saturday when we usually eat out together...). I make homecooked meals, which both kids eat along with us. No short-order cooking here!

My DD is 4 and my DS is just about 1. So my 4 year old has to stay at the table with us until she's tried everything on her plate (but she doesn't have to clean her plate!). Then she talks with us for a few minutes before asking to be excused and thanking us for dinner. As she gets older, I hope the time she's able to spend at the table will increase, although I think she does very well for a 4 year old. My DS is just happy to be in the highchair at the table.

Growing up, we had EVERY meal at the dining table together as a family -- yep, breakfast, lunch and dinner! (Well, not lunch on weekdays...). The only exception was Sunday nights when we had a VERY special dinner while watching Star Trek together as a family. Yep, we were that geeky! Loved it!

Now at home, we don't even have a TV on the main floor (where the dining room, kitchen and living room are) so it's never been an option to watch while eating.

[mariewilcox]

Family dinner here too, at the table. It's just DD and I and it might be anytime between 4:30 and 8:30 depending on which sports season it is and if it's a game day or practice, etc. She eats just anything that I eat and has since she started eating table food at 9 months old (but that's a whole other conversation. Don't get me started about "kids food" versus "adult food"! LOL) No TV, no iPod, books, etc. We talk about the day and discuss our schedule for that night or the next day, etc. Milk for dinner - never soda, never juice. DD isn't fond of milk so she knows it is the only time she has to drink it.

Breakfast is a different story though - I work at home and start at 4:30 in the morning, so I usually have something to eat around 6:00. DD gets up at 7and makes something then eats in bed while she watches TV while I continue to work.

Lunch is a free for all if we happen to be home - whatever you want to eat, whereever you want to eat, and whenever you want to eat.

[MandaT]

We're probably odd, but we eat almost every meal together. If DH isn't home then it's just me & the kiddos. Always at the dining table. Sometimes the TV is on, if it's during dinner it's on the local news channel.

Occasionally I'll let the kids have a 'picnic' lunch in the living room.

Our standing rule, no matter where we are is you must try at least 1 bite of everything, if its something you don't like, you don't have to eat it, but you have to at least give it a shot. If you don't eat the majority of your dinner, you don't get a nite time snack/dessert or juice. Dinner drink is always milk & the rest of the day is water, & 1 cup of juice. I rarely cook something the kids don't like but sometimes if I'm trying a new recipe they don't like the same flavors in a new way, so they'll have something else, left over of something they do like or a PBJ/grilled cheese sandwhich.

[carriesmom]

When our table is cleared I like to eat at the table with family but that doesn't always happen. I'm trying make dinner a bigger priority in my family. DH's night schedule is really wonky (He is the clerk of the school board, active in the Republican Party, and last year he was campaigning) so sometimes he isn't home for dinner. Sometimes we chill the living room. It is on my growth plan.

Growing up we ate the table, you had to try something at least once but you didn't need to clean your plate. Milk was almost never on the table (my mom and I are lactose intolerant) and as we got older and our activities went into the night, we kind of fixed ourselves dinner.

[Nettio]

Originally Posted by ajfries

Growing up we all ate at the table, no tv, no answering the phone & we could drink either milk or water.

This is how it always was at my house growing up too. We ate dinner later than most people (7-7:30) since that's when my dad would get home. We were all busy with activities but whoever was home would eat together. I can't think of too many times when we ate with the tv on but I know we never ever ate anywhere but at the kitchen table. No food was allowed on the carpet, period.

Since it's just Adam and I, we're a bit more laid back about things. I prefer to eat at the dining table simply because it's a lot less messy but we do sometimes eat at the coffee table and watch tv or a movie (or like last night, the BCS Championship game). If we have kids though, we'll all be eating at the table like I did with my family.

[SweetMelissa]

Growing up everyone who was home ate at the table as a family. We weren't allowed soda until we got a job and paid for it our selves. The drink choices were water, milk or apple juice. When were were little everyone had to stay at the table until everyone was done but my sister would refuse to eat and we would be sitting there for an hour and a half. Finally my parents gave that rule up. She learend to eat real fast when it was 2 hours after dinner and she was the only one at the table while the rest of us had dessert, watched tv, played a game, ect. You had take two bites out of everything.

Now with my own family we eat at the table but do sometimes as a treat eat on the couch. The kids think its the coolest thing in the world when we do this. A few times we even took a blanket out and spread it on the floor and had a panic in our own living room. They need to take two bites out of everything on their plate. We try to not force them to eat something they don't like but they most try it. At this age we're not really worried about them eating everything on their plate. If they are full then they can be done but they can't leave unless they ask.

[Amber1279]

Well we don't have chairs for our table right now, so we eat in the living room. Meal time varies because of activities and DH's work schedule. I will say that we have cut down our eating out a lot this past year and now drive thru is only one night a week and a resturant dinner is a special occasion. Hopefully we will be able to get a new set of chairs when we move in a few months.

[lisabranka]

Growing up it was always dinner @ the table as a family. All 7 of us would talk about our day and such.

For both dh and I it's important to each dinner together as a family, the TV is usually on to the news or radio station and much to my teenagers disklike.. no cell phones at all.

We recently acquired a teenage girl (15) who is living with us now and after the first few nights of sitting down together (with grace before) she told us that it felt weird because growing up they hardly ever sat at the table together as a family...everyone just ate whenever and where ever. I think she is starting to enjoy this time together.. of course everyone is watching and waiting to see when mom makes the first spill on her shirt (happens almost every meal..lol)

[mummytothree]

Growing up we ate dinner every night together up until I was probably in High school and then sporting events kept my sister and I busy. But we still ate breakfast every day together and that's what my family does now!

My hubby works kind of weird hours. He doesn't leave for work until 8:30AM and gets home at like 7PM. So every morning we get up and get the kid ready for school and hubby cooks a big breakfast and we all sit down and eat together before my oldest gets on the bus a 7AM. But for dinner me and the 5 kids still all sit down and eat dinner at the table together.

Then on the weekends we all sit down and eat all 3 meals together. And all are meals are at the table, no phones, no tv.

[Sarah8914]

We eat every meal together at the table! Well, sometimes breakfast is a little different, but for the most part. The TV is rarely on in our house, so definitely not for meals--it's in another room anyway. We only go out to eat maybe once a month, so I cook every meal and we eat at about 5:30 when dh gets home from work.

My kids are the pickiest in the world (well, my oldest and youngest) and are horrible eaters. I'll let them have a sandwich, but that's the only other option. They will usually eat some version of our meal so I don't cook separate things for them. And they drink milk or water.. lately juice because they're having constipation problems.... but since they eat so bad, I feel like milk is good for them.

[Priscilla]

Most night we eat together

unless DH gets home really late

[taracotta7]

We eat together at the dining table usually around 6. I cook every night. The choices are eat what I fix or don't eat at all. (yes, DS has gone to bed hungry a few times) You have to stay at the table the whole time or until you are excused. I am just hard core about it. The first couple of years of marriage, it use to drive my DH crazy. Now he is totally on board. I would say 1-2 times a month there are nights were I do "left over" night and we are more casual. Sometimes we eat at the bar in the kitchen or have a picnic in the living room. It doesn't happen much. We usually use the bar for breakfast and lunch.

[MissKim]

Originally Posted by taracotta7

You have to stay at the table the whole time or until you are excused. I am just hard core about it.

Love this. My rule at home, too. I also teach 3 year olds and this my rule for snack. You sit and wait until everyone is done. There's a bit of a philosophy difference here... my fellow teacher thinks it's crazy to expect 3 year olds to sit until everyone is finished, but I do expect it and it works. Some kids will never try anything if you don't make them sit for a bit and look at it. Eventually they'll decide they're hungry enough to try it.

[ColleenSwerb]

Is it weird that it totally makes me happy to hear that so many of you still eat dinner together? LOL!

[crecia27]

We had a similar story growing up.

At least one child has something several nights a week, and with an 8 pm bed time - and getting home from work at 6 - we don't have the time or energy for a full out dinner. Its one of my biggest regrets about working full time.

[deepounds]

Well, our kids are long gone from home, so Dave & I frequently eat on trays in front of the t.v. - much to my kids' astonishment (and disapproval - lol!). When they were growing up, we ALWAYS sat at the table, no special meals, and no t.v. or phone calls. (I still rarely answer the phone if we're eating.) Since Dave was career Army, he was frequently gone - but the rest of us all sat down together. (Oh yeah, we prayed over every meal also!)

Scheduling IS much more difficult as the kids start getting involved in other activities - and that starts so much sooner these days - I don't envy that part of raising a family nowadays.

But I still maintain that having as much structure to mealtime as possible is very good for the family . . . there's really no substitute for the group interaction it provides.

[deepounds]

Originally Posted by ColleenSwerb

Is it weird that it totally makes me happy to hear that so many of you still eat dinner together? LOL!

LOL! I don't know if it's weird or not, but I agree wholeheartedly!!

[kscwgirl]

Y'all make me feel like a slacker.

Jeff has a night job, and I don't get home until 6-6:30. On Mondays Abby has dance, so they eat dinner at my mom's.. I either don't eat or fix something simple when I get home. Sometimes during the week if Jeff is working mom will feed them. If Mom hasn't... they get something easy when we get home.. chicken nuggets, etc... I usually don't eat dinner those nights.

If Jeff is home, or on weekends, I fix something and we all eat together. We don't have a kitchen table right now but we will once we finally move and then we'll eat at the table, for now we eat downstairs but we all eat together. I don't make 2 meals unless I know it's something JJ or Abby hate and then they get a sandwich or soup or mac & cheese.

[g6scrapped]

We have supper as a family every night. Now that my husband got a new job and is actually around for it we take full advantage. This is when we find out about school and get more our visiting done. Also, we all stay seated at the table until everyone is done eating. It's never even questioned by the kids.

[Angie4b1g]

It's pretty much how your mom did it here.

We eat together as a family at the table. No electronics, no TV, no phones, etc. They have to try one bite of everything I served, and then they can have more of just the potatoes or whatever if they choose. I don't really tell them what to drink, but I don't buy soda, so there aren't that many options. It's milk, hot tea or juice.

I don't make multiple meals unless I'm making something especially horrifying for me and dh.

[LeeAndra]

We grew up eating dinner together every night, too, Col. It's why I find it so strange that SS (8) still struggles with table manners because his mom lets him eat in front of the TV every night at their house.

We don't eat dinner together during the week since J. works except on Wed nights when we have SS. Breakfast is out, too, since J. is sleeping then. I try to get the three of us to eat lunch together, but between J.'s sleep schedule and Monkey's nap schedule, it doesn't always work out that way.

Monkey is not allowed to eat anywhere but the table, and I do my best to enforce this rule with SS, too, but sometimes J. will let a snack slide during a weekend we have him.

Once J. gets back on a first shift schedule, we will eat dinner together again.

[deepounds]

Originally Posted by Angie4b1g

They have to try one bite of everything I served, and then they can have more of just the potatoes or whatever if they choose.

LOL! That was one of our rules also . . . but I actually had plenty of practice before we had kids. Dave grew up with June Cleaver (for whoever's old enough to know who that is), and she catered to everybody's whims just to keep things cheerful all the time. When we were first married, salad to him was a bowl of lettuce & the only veggies he'd eat were potatoes, green beans, and corn. I, on the other hand, had come from a very poor family who was thrilled just to be eating, and I liked ALL food (except liver!). All I did was make him TRY things, and he soon learned to like everything . . . except green peas, which he still hates.

[KyRainbow]

We always eat dinner together as a family, but not necessarily at our table. But, whether we eat at the dining room table or in the living room, I have a no electronics rule. The tv is off, cell phones are not allowed (not even by me), no laptops or DSi, or iPod, etc. During Christmas I did allow for some quiet Christmas carols playing from the desktop computer though, just not loud enough to interfere with conversation. During the week dinner is the only meal we have together, so I think it's super important. My DD used to be SUPER picky about what she ate, so I did keep small frozen meals or individual servings of Chef Boyardee pasta meals on hand if I was cooking something I know she doesn't like. She's getting a lot better about being picky, so I find I need those things less and less now. She's allowed to choose between milk, iced tea, or water to drink. My tea is sweet, but has no sugar, so either way she chooses what she's drinking isn't bad for her.

[Aimeemomof2+]

I grew up always eating together with my family. We had to clean our plates, and we could never fix ourselves something different. (until I was in high school...I think I wore my mom down after years of refusing to eat.) We always had juice or soda to drink.

We do eat together as a family now. It wasn't always this way, though. When my oldest was small, DH and I worked opposite shifts. We never saw each other, and just ate when we were hungry. That was a hard time....

But now I stay at home with the kids and we homeschool. So, the kids and I are here all day together. I usually fix and eat a hot breakfast together with them. The kids eat lunch together, and I usually eat at the computer or my desk. (I need a break by lunch time...lol)

We eat dinner together when DH comes home. He works until he is done....so he may be home anywhere from 6pm to 9pm. We always wait for him, though. (we have snacks together for the late nights) We all stay up late, and sleep in...so this schedule works well for us. Everyone we know thinks that we are crazy, but we have a routine...it is just usually a few hours behind everyone else here.

The kids have to try everything. But, no one has to clean their plates ever. (I really, really hated that as a kid) If they don't have enough healthy food, they don't get dessert. (the kids can only have sweets at dinner) They have water every meal. We don't drink milk ever, but one has a milk protein allergy, and one is lactose intolerant...so we don't have much dairy anyway. If they hate dinner, they can make a sandwich, have salad or fruit. No other options, and I am definitely not making anything extra.

[hmlentz]

We always eat together at the table. One, my DH is a neat freak and eating anywhere else would send him to the moon, and I always grew up at the table and I think it's important. My kids are still younger though (7, 8, and 9), so their schedules aren't crazy in the eve's yet...

I will try to protect our dinners though.

[Stacey42]

We eat dinner together at the table at about 6:30 nearly every night. There is no room for a tv in the kitchen so that's out. No phones, no mp3 players & generally no books. You eat what I cook, the end. Though when I meal plan I let everyone have some say in what get served. If it is something new or something you outright hate while everyone else likes it you have to have a couple bites then can have a piece of fruit or some veggies. Dessert is only 2 nights a week. Beverage choice ranges from juice to water to tea to milk, with soda being an option if we are having a cookout with friends.

Exceptions are when DH isn't going to be home for dinner & I am not feeling the love as it were. Then depending what is for dinner you can eat in the living room in front of the tv if it isn't messy or you can bring a book to the table if it is.

Pretty much the same rules as applied in my parents' house

[aggiefamily]

Friday, Saturday and Sunday night are guaranteed family meal times at the kitchen table. The rest of the week it is usually just the two boys. My DH doesn't get home until after 6:30 (gotta love Houston traffic!) and that is too late for my boys to wait. So DH and I will eat a salad after they go to bed.

I will either sit at the table with them and have some tea, go over homework or I am in the kitchen cleaning up. I am always with them in the kitchen when they are eating.

There is no tv during meals at the table. Sometimes we might have pizza on the living room floor when we are watching a movie together.

I cook for the boys since I eat a salad every night. On the weekends my DH cooks.

[MamaBee]

Another family that eats supper as a family... my hubby "demands" it. I did grow up that my Mom and I ate dinner together and since my dad got home late, he ate in front of the tv in the living room.

My hubby makes sure he is home by 5:00 and we have supper between 5:30 and 6:00... no tv, no radio, no toys at the table. Now that kiddo is 3, he eats what we eat... if he doesn't like it, he isn't that hungry, we don't eat anything "weird". For drinks... it is Vibe... the liquid multi-vitamin that is added to water. I'm a HUGE milk drinker... when your daddy is a milk hauler, you support the Wisconsin farmer. Hubby will drink water if he already had his Vibe for the day. If hubby isn't home... kiddo eats at the table and I usually eat in the living room while watching tv.. shhh, don't tell my hubby...

[scrappinsweetie]

i was a die hard eat at the table person until 3 years ago when we had the house fire. since then we eat in the living room a lot more. dh grew up eating wherever and since the house fire he has been home a lot more (due to a job change) and so he has kinda taken over. at first i let it go because we didn't have a table. we have had a table for about 2.5 years and we go in spurts, but i am cracking down. i really REALLY miss our family time together and he agrees and can see the benefits of it. we are working very hard on being a family again.

[jannylynn]

We used to eat dinner together every night. But then DH started traveling for his job. The kids and I would eat together but sometimes I would let them eat in front of the tv because I was so tired.

But now that he isn't traveling, we are back together at the table! I LOVE it! and won't give it up for anything. Monday night is the only night we can't get it to work out. But we also have breakfast together.