Do you have dinner together as a family? - Page 4

[busymama77]

Moreso when DH is in town. Now, we may not all eat the same thing - DH and I will eat whatever he cooks and DS gets what he wants (sometimes).

[alaskaberry]

Almost never!

I grew up eating family dinner every night. So I eat family dinner every night with the kids. But DP does not...he sits in front of the TV...when I ask him (nicely) to come and eat with us, he says "they're too annoying to eat with" about the kids, or he eats right before he goes to bed at 3 am. He doesn't put them to bed or give them their bath (his idea of a bath is scrubbing them up right away with no time for splashing at all, and he doesn't read ever, so no books either before bed), so it's like I'm a single mom even when he *is* home from the Slope.

Wow, I didn't mean for that to turn into a rant! Sorry OP!

[seim.ge]

My husband and I are both full-time students and we are taking all of our classes online, so we have all of our meals together as a family. We sit in our bar stools at the counter to eat, and then my son crawls up onto the counter to "help" me wash the dishes after our meal is over. =]

My husband will be changing schools this Fall, though, so our schedule is going to get messed up by that. I'm so sad...I knew it couldn't last forever, but it's been so nice having the whole family together like this! I am going to do my best to make this summer last forever.

[reezley]

Originally Posted by alaskaberry

Almost never!

I grew up eating family dinner every night. So I eat family dinner every night with the kids. But DP does not...he sits in front of the TV...when I ask him (nicely) to come and eat with us, he says "they're too annoying to eat with" about the kids, or he eats right before he goes to bed at 3 am. He doesn't put them to bed or give them their bath (his idea of a bath is scrubbing them up right away with no time for splashing at all, and he doesn't read ever, so no books either before bed), so it's like I'm a single mom even when he *is* home from the Slope.

Wow, I didn't mean for that to turn into a rant! Sorry OP!

You sound like you're really in a tough situation. And hugs to the other pp who also said her dh won't join in for family dinner. There are hints sometimes of that attitude in my dh (not wanting to be around kids when it's too much work or too loud, etc.) and it's really unbecoming. My family growing up was more tolerant of kids just being kids, than my dh's parents, I think. Not too many rules and I felt (from my angle as the kid, anyway) that my parents just enjoyed our company.
Anyway, not having dinners together seems it can be a symptom of other things going on the marriage, a general feeling of not being a team together, not connecting enough. Why is dinner so symbolic?
I like that some people do breakfast together instead - maybe everyone's mood and behavior is better in the morning so it would be more pleasant all around. We often do brunch on weekends together, and I should remember that we at least have that!

[Mrs.Burke]

yes we do. it's a must and that's the time for wrap-up talk about what happened the whole day.