Family Meals

[AngelPunks]

Flowerchild - I loved being able to share a family dinner with you I loved Miss Immy sharing her yoghurt with me (spoon for her, spoon for me & if I didn't take it it would be shoved up my nose )

Growing up (until my father died), dinner was a BIG ritual, when dad got home from work, he'd sit down and all of us would have a ****tail (mine was a softdrink in a ****tail glass), then we'd sit down to dinner, then desert. Then my nightly ritual would be to sit in dad's lap while he had a port, when I'd tell him about my day (even though I used to ring him during the day), this was while mum cleared the table.

I plan to do that to my own family, I used to "attempt" to have a family dinner with my xh, but he had an attention span of a sneeze and rarely would we be able to sit down like adults and talk - he always wanted to watch tv.

[Tinks]

We don't eat together. The kids sit at the table and DH and I sit in the lounge. We're all in the same room though.

Growing up my family always ate at the table together, I don't know why I don't do it. Perhaps laziness.

Am I bad?

[Just Me]

Am I bad?

Oh terrible - no every family is different and if that's what you are comfortable with then go for it.

DH and I have always eaten dinner together at the table even before we had kids. I figure we go to enough effort to prepare it, we should enjoy it together.

DH and I usually make dinner together and the kids hang around the kitchen either playing or DS in his high chair if he is just a bit over it. We cut up raw veggies for them to snack on while we cook (carrott sticks, beans etc). DD has started pushing a chair up to the bench in the kitchen and helps cook dinner.

From when our kids started eating solids (around 6 months), they have sat at the table with us at meal times. They usually have a little bit of what we are having purreed until they become interested in what we eat and then we just give them what we are eating cut into small pieces. My kids have both wanted to feed themselves from a very early age so it has worked well for us.

We always say grace at the beginning of our meal and if we ever forget, DD is quick to remind us. We expect our kids to sit at the table with us until we have finished eating from when they are babies (within reason). DD knows that she has to ask to leave the table before she gets up which we usually don't let her do until DH and I have finished eating (unless it is taking a long time because we have had to stop eating to look after DS who gets very tired around dinner time and sometimes doesn't make it all the way through dinner).

I usually clean up from dinner while DH baths the kids and puts them to bed.

[Inanna]

TG that's one of my points - I've gone to all this effort - lets enjoy it! I personally can't stand the tv on while eating. It's a bug bear of mine.

AP: Yes, Immy makes quite a mess of her yoghurt!

[Patooties]

We all eat at the table together - with the tv off. We start the meal with a prayer - and the kids take turns at saying it. We generally talk about what's happened through the day. Growing up we sat at the table as well - I don't ever remember eating in front of the telly as a kid.

[Phteven]

I used to but Mt washington has kind of taken over my table so now we're just as likely to eat in lounge room

[Inanna]

What's mt Washington???

[Janie]

We always eat dinner at the table together, it's important to all of us. DH and I used to have the odd night when we'd enjoy eating on the couch, but now that DS is here and eating with us, that never happens (he would be too messy for one ). But we really enjoy our family meals, with music playing, and DS is really getting into the swing of things. He LOVES 'diwwertime' and can't wait to go and sit at the table and put a placemat at each of our places!!! It's very cute.

As a young child, I didn't have that family time, my dad liked us kids to be fed and in bed when he and mum sat down for their dinner and wine . But as a teenagers, once my parents were divorced, mum had us sit together.

[Astrid]

We eat most of our dinners together at the kitchen table. Sometimes we eat together in front of the TV, normally when it is something informal like nachos or pizza. There are the odd times though where it is a matter of just getting the kids fed, bathed and in bed, then we worry about ourselves later.

[MrsFabuloso]

I used to but Mt washington has kind of taken over my table so now we're just as likely to eat in lounge room

Sadly it's the same at our house. I used to set the table and eat at it, til it was taken over. 2 kids and a job does nothing for my house keeping...I must try to get on top of it, wither that or find another place to stash my overflowing clothes baskets. Though in saying that we do eat together on the lounge room floor!!

[christy]

LOL Deb Mt Washington is the washing pile.....

We eat together 5-6 nights a week, on the two nights I work past the kids dinner time, DH eats with the girls. I will come home and they will sit down with me while I eat. Its an important time of connecting together for our family, and yep most night the TV is off, but on Friday night, pizza and DVD night we watch a movie together.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

We eat dinner apart maybe once a fortnight. Maybe DH is working (or fishing) or maybe DH and I want a "date dinner" so eat when DS is in bed (once every 2-3 months). But apart maybe once a fortnight.

We have a point of talking about our days and asking each other what went on. DS is now able to join in and share one aspect of his day too, maybe two. However, we have had TV on for dinner these last few nights so DS hasn't spoken - that will be going off again! We enjoy our little dinner chats.

DH and I both grew up eating dinner with our family. But DH always wasn't allowed to talk because his dad was watching the news and I was shouted down in my conversation by my sister so we're being careful to allow everyone their time to talk without any TV. (When DH remembers to turn off TV while I bring dinner to table - I know, my fault too, but it's technically his job.)

[*Ali*]

We also sit down to dinner at the table every night, we are not so great about setting the table, but we all sit together and eat and chat about what our day was like. DD has just learned to start asking "what did you do today mummy/ daddy?" which is totally cute.

[christy]

Our question for each other is "What was your favourite part of today?"

[briggsy's girl]

after posting in this thread we got a call that DH had to leave for work during the day yesterday instead of this morning. so it was all systems go to get him ready and off to work - but we still ate "dinner" together at lunch time! neither one of us was prepared to lose that so we got it all organised. even DD sat and chatted away to us while we ate.

[Epacris]

I've been meaning to get to this thread for aaaages and reply. I've LOVED hearing about everyone's dinner times.

Yes we are a compulsive TV-off-eat-dinner-at-the-table type family too.

Our evening routine starts at around 5pm when we all get home from work and daycare. Usually either DH or I will go out and exercise (DH will run 7-8km, but I've only just got into it and I'm a lot slower so I only run 3-4km). The parent left at home cooks dinner and sets the table. The TV is off, DS usually just plays around the house or with the little girl next door (either at our house or her house). DD sits in her high chair and feeds herself finger food.

At 6-6:30pm all four of us sit at the table and eat our dinner. DH and I use our cutlery, eat our veges, remark about how lovely the meal is and how lucky we are and just generally chit-chat about the day.

Then it's straight into the bath with both of them.

DS and DH love to watch Scrappy Racers / Scrap Heap Challenge on ABC2 after the bath. Then we do puzzles and read books. DD goes to bed at about 7:30pm, then it's teeth and bed for DS at about 8pm.

Bliss!