Dear Poll: Did You Eat as a Family Growing Up?

April 1, 2009

Nowadays it seems like fewer families have the time to unwind together at night — the kids have after-school activities and more homework than ever, and the parents are working later, longer hours which can make family dinners seem obsolete.

I grew up eating dinner as a family almost every night, so I'm curious to know, did you too?

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53 Comments

athyrai 4 years

Nope. Never did.

athyrai 4 years

Nope. Never did.

sparklestar 4 years

Nope. Me and my sister would eat our dinner in front of the tv and then my dad would come in late and my parents would eat after we'd gone to bed or whilst we were watching the late evening shows.Our dining room table was always covered in crap (my parents table still is now!) so we don't ever eat as a family unless we go out to a restaurant!Me and my boyfriend sit at the dining table every single night to eat our meals.

sparklestar 4 years

Nope. Me and my sister would eat our dinner in front of the tv and then my dad would come in late and my parents would eat after we'd gone to bed or whilst we were watching the late evening shows. Our dining room table was always covered in crap (my parents table still is now!) so we don't ever eat as a family unless we go out to a restaurant! Me and my boyfriend sit at the dining table every single night to eat our meals.

Allytta 4 years

lunch always was a family meal in our family.

pinkfizz 4 years

No, my family was never even in the same room together, even before my parents were divorced.

care0531 4 years

I am from a family of 7 and we ate together every single night! We also had to have milk every night with dinner! LOL. My mother never worked so it was easier for her to organize and get everything together- we all had to eat it even if we didn't like it. At my house however- both myself and my husband work full time so we are getting my daughter something fast while we figure out what we are going to eat for dinner. Sometime we don't get to eat until 8!

care0531 4 years

I am from a family of 7 and we ate together every single night! We also had to have milk every night with dinner! LOL.My mother never worked so it was easier for her to organize and get everything together- we all had to eat it even if we didn't like it.At my house however- both myself and my husband work full time so we are getting my daughter something fast while we figure out what we are going to eat for dinner. Sometime we don't get to eat until 8!

green socks 4 years

Always, with the TV off. But we ate in time for my mom to catch Jeopardy. :) Still, when I visit my parents we do it the same way, and now I try to make plans around us eating dinner together, because I think it's a really good way to spend my time visiting.

bethinabox 4 years

We used to until I was about 17 or so, but for some reason, after that, we kinda just started drifting off to our respective computers or TVs. *shrug* I don't really miss it, but I definitely plan on eating together when I have a family of my own.

CaterpillarGirl 4 years

every single night, No sitting in front of the TV at all. and if you got done first? you could be excused, but you couldnt turn on the tv, you could read or study.

Triste3030 4 years

It was just my Mom, my two brothers and me but yeah we'd eat dinner together most days of the week. I never quite appreciated it but now that I'm older I miss it.

Autumns_Elegy 4 years

We always ate together when I was little. Now it's a bit different, Dad is away with work a lot and when I do nights I sometimes wont get home until midnight! So usually we scoff food when we can but if we're all home then we'll eat together. Sometimes the TV is on (never miss Doctor Who) but we try and keep mealtimes as a family thing. If we don't have a meal together then we'll sit down with a cup of tea and have a good natter.

fashionplate525 4 years

Not very often. It was just my mom and I for the most part and we ate whenever. Probably when I was much younger and unable to cook for myself, I imagine we did moreso, but I don't quite remember. Sad.

OhMyDragonflys 4 years

tidalwave...that's about like my story.

OhMyDragonflys 4 years

never. I'm jealous of those who have had that experience.

OhMyDragonflys 4 years

never. I'm jealous of those who have had that experience.

opentypeA 4 years

Omg, I can't believe all the people who said yes! Thats awesome, I wish my family ate together more when I was growing up. I honestly don't remember if we ever did. My brother and I would be hungry at about 5, and my dad wouldn't come home until 6 or later. Now I'm out of the house, but my mom says that even when they all plan to eat together, my dad and brother eat so fast that they're done by the time she's even sat down with her food!

Lukin 4 years

We ate dinner as a family every night. We didn't always have every dish on the table served "family style" (like in the picture), but we always at least sat together, even when we picked up take-out from some place.

aimeeb 4 years

The older we got the harder it was but up into mid HS we always did.

Pallas Athena 4 years

We usually only ate together during holidays. Otherwise it was just my siblings and I while my parents where in their room. Now that I'm older I eat more with my parents (we hang out more) and sometimes we all eat together if we're doing something together.

Spectra 4 years

We never ate as a family except at holidays or sometimes on Sundays when my mom invited my aunt and uncle over for lunch. My mom worked second shift while we were growing up, so a lot of the time it was just my dad and us eating dinner. Then, as we got older, we spent a lot of afternoons at my grandma's after school and we would eat supper there a lot with my cousins. Once we got to about middle school/high school age, it became "every kid for him/herself" and I remember lots of nights when I'd heat up a couple of hot dogs for dinner to eat before having to go over to my friends' houses or to band practice. I wish we would've eaten together more often...I always really liked it when we did.

TidalWave 4 years

Never. As a child, all I remember is my mom sleeping and working (single-mom). If she had to work nights, she would just sleep until she had to get up to go to work so I would eat tv dinners with my grandmother. As a teen, if dinner was prepared, we just ate it separately in the living room or I'd eat in my room but most of the time the freezer was stocked up with tons of (gross) frozen processed foods so I would just that eat on my own whenever I was hungry. We only ate dinner as a family on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

TidalWave 4 years

Sun_Sun 4 years

yea we did. i think its so important. i wanna do that with my kids in the future.

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53 Comments