For those of you who don’t know me, I grew up in a family of 7, in a small house. My parents were both from large families and both grew up in rural areas. The only time the family really all got together on any given day was for dinner. This habit was adopted by my parents as well. Some of my favourite memories are of us around the dinner table, laughing and sharing each other’s day.
My wife, on the other hand, is an only child. As a consequence, her childhood was completely different. Both her mother and father were career people, so she was often left to her own devices.
We were talking recently and I happened to mention the wonderful memories I had of noisy dinners with my family. I explained to her we’d all sit down together. There wasn’t a television, music or external amusements. Hats were not allowed, hands and faces had to be washed, hair combed or brushed and a general tidy up had to occur before sitting down. If one of us wanted to leave the table at any point, we’d have to ask permission… “May I leave the table, please Dad?”
Dinner was always at least a main meal and a dessert of some sort. Sometimes, there was also a soup or a starter. And it was always at pretty much the same time everyday, regardless. My wife expressed surprise but thought the idea of it was pretty cool as this sort of dinner inspired conversation and discussion, two of her favourite things.
This got me thinking about what we do now and what others do at dinner time. My wife and I, if we’re at home at the same time, invariably end up eating in front of the television. We don't have a real reason other than this is what we do. I am not usually home until after 6pm so we generally don’t eat until later (like 7:30 or after). I don’t pine for the old days, not at all, but I do wonder how other families operate.
So, does your family sit down to dinner every night or even a couple times a week? Do you think this is a dying habit or still very much alive?