It is difficult to have family meals these days, no question about it.
That does not mean that it is a bad idea. Certainly a daily gathering of a family around the table is a very good idea. That's how I grew up, back in the 1950s, and both of my parents worked, too.
It was a rule in my parent's house. Everyone showed up at the dinner table, unless there was a very, very good reason. Events were not scheduled to conflict with that time. Practises and other such things did not take place between 5 and 7 PM. Nothing at school or church was scheduled for those hours.
So, at 5:30 PM every day, we all sat down to dinner, prepared by my mother. Along with eating, everyone participated in conversation around the table, generally about the day's events. I learned what my brother and sister were doing. I heard stories about my father's work, and my mother told us about her day.
It was the time when we discussed a weekend trip or plans for the Summer vacation. There were jokes, gentle teasing, and lots of smiles. There was no TV on in the background, or any other interruption. If the phone rang, it rang, but was not answered. Whoever it was would call back.
After dinner, my little brother cleared the table and my sister and I washed the dishes. After that, if there was some choir practice or a visit to a friend's house, that was fine.
But mealtime was sacrosanct. We all benefitted from it, in ways that are hard to measure.
Yes, it may be harder today than it used to be, but it's still possible. It's a good idea, and one that will definitely benefit every member of the family.
Well said. One of my biggest peeves is the phone ringing during dinner time. It used to be we'd answer it, say we're eating and we will call back when we're finished, but some people just don't listen, so I prefer to not answer anymore.
From another thread:
**Mother Knows Best!**
LOL! And surprisingly it worked with my children too!
They always tell me they remember all the times we would be sitting at the dinner table and talking about something or laughing at something that someone had said. My husband was a punster, so we always had something to laugh about!
Back to the subject. God bless all those families, military and civilian who decide to eat together every night or like the article suggested even once a month.