Growing up, my parents had a rule that we all eat at the dinner table - I don't EVER remember eating supper somewhere else. Mom made one single meal, and we were expected to eat what she made. We didn't always like it, but we ate it or we went hungry (and got no dessert or snacks before bed). Also, there was a rule about no answering the phone. It was family time - the only "entertainment" we had was visiting each other and talking about our day.
My DH grew up much the same way, which made the decision about our family easier. When it was just the 2 of us, we would usually eat at the table for supper, but I didn't mind if we ate while watching a movie or whatever. But when I got pregnant with DD, we decided to start the habit of always eating at the table. We included DD from the time she was a newborn. We have a high chair that reclines, so I would strap her in (if she was awake), and she would sit with us at the supper table while DH and I ate our meals. Our TV can be seen from our kitchen table, but we always turn it off at supper. We don't answer our phone, and we don't allow toys at the table (as the kids get older, this will include any cell phones, ipods, etc).
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