Is it me or do people/families not eat dinner anymore?? VENT

[ilovediznee]

I find it amazing in our lunchroom the number of people and families who don't eat dinner or eat together at all. I work both FT and PT so I'm not home two days a week, but I fix dinner for my DD and DH otherwise it defeats the purpose of me working if they go out.

All meeting seem to be starting at 6pm and go to 7:30 - soccer, church, associations...

I can't tell you the number of times I get phone calls between 6 and 7:30 with friends just wanting to chat and I say, "are you eating" and they say no.

Maybe it's just me, but I find it very odd.

Anyone else notice this too?

 

[dakcp2001]

The only thing that I find odd is that you think everyone else should live accoding to your schedule. Some people eat dinner earlier or later than you. I grew up in a home that had dinner at 530 every single day on the dot. In my home we eat at different times depending on our schedules. Like, for example, if there is a meeting scheduled for 630, we could eat before that.

The good thing about the phone? Answering machine!

 

[azdizzymom]

Yes I notice it! We are one of the minority and eat together! My boys are teenagers and I fix breakfast for the 3 of us (hubby is at work) and we eat together. For dinner we eat together ....even during sports seasons we will eat early or late but there is at least one parent and child eating together. Like you I always cook and plan ahead so there is something good and fast to eat.

BUT there are the meetings that the coaches plan at 6 or 6:30 PM...the practices that go from 4-7PM or something. Even the school will have meetings (high school orientation, etc.) at 6 or 6:30PM.

I am amazed at the number of families that don't eat together...even those where parents don't work. My son had a friend eat with us last night and it was like he hadn't had a good, normal dinner for days. Also found it interesting that my son had an all day sport even (golf) and his two friends who spent the night and my son were ONLY ones who had a lunch (they left at 10AM and returned home at 5PM). Some nice mom packed lunches and drinks for all of of them. No one else did --- know kids are old enough to do themselves but must admit at 8:30 AM on a Saturday morning teenage boys are more interested in sleeping or eating the eggs and bacon that nice mom made for them than packing a lunch!!

And yes the phone does ring to during dinner with people "are you busy"... I see who caller ID says it is and let it ring. OR the new favorite is to ring a cowbell in the ear of the solicitation call. I can tell from caller ID (shows area code and then 000 and remaining 4 numbers) that is is "Rachel" from cardholder services telling me there is nothing wrong with my account but they can consolidate or reduce interest rate. I just need to push '1' to talk to someone. I will push '1' and then ring bell as loud as I can in their ear...oh well!

Enjoy dinner with your family!!!!

 

[jaminmd]

The only thing that I find odd is that you think everyone else should live accoding to your schedule. Some people eat dinner earlier or later than you. I grew up in a home that had dinner at 530 every single day on the dot. In my home we eat at different times depending on our schedules. Like, for example, if there is a meeting scheduled for 630, we could eat before that.

The good thing about the phone? Answering machine!

Yes I notice it! We are one of the minority and eat together! My boys are teenagers and I fix breakfast for the 3 of us (hubby is at work) and we eat together. For dinner we eat together ....even during sports seasons we will eat early or late but there is at least one parent and child eating together. Like you I always cook and plan ahead so there is something good and fast to eat.

BUT there are the meetings that the coaches plan at 6 or 6:30 PM...the practices that go from 4-7PM or something. Even the school will have meetings (high school orientation, etc.) at 6 or 6:30PM.

I am amazed at the number of families that don't eat together...even those where parents don't work. My son had a friend eat with us last night and it was like he hadn't had a good, normal dinner for days. Also found it interesting that my son had an all day sport even (golf) and his two friends who spent the night and my son were ONLY ones who had a lunch (they left at 10AM and returned home at 5PM). Some nice mom packed lunches and drinks for all of of them. No one else did --- know kids are old enough to do themselves but must admit at 8:30 AM on a Saturday morning teenage boys are more interested in sleeping or eating the eggs and bacon that nice mom made for them than packing a lunch!!

And yes the phone does ring to during dinner with people "are you busy"... I see who caller ID says it is and let it ring. OR the new favorite is to ring a cowbell in the ear of the solicitation call. I can tell from caller ID (shows area code and then 000 and remaining 4 numbers) that is is "Rachel" from cardholder services telling me there is nothing wrong with my account but they can consolidate or reduce interest rate. I just need to push '1' to talk to someone. I will push '1' and then ring bell as loud as I can in their ear...oh well!

Enjoy dinner with your family!!!!

Well aren't you just wonderful. How about teaching those boys to do for themselves?

Maybe people do eat together outside the times that you (the collective you) have designated for dinner? Maybe they have breakfast together or eat together on the weekends? Why do any of you care? Why does it matter?

Pretty broad generalization to make.

 

[Madison'smommy]

Wow.... just wow....lol. I have no words, and that is unusual. Sorry people don't do things the way you do....

 

[Eastern]

I know some people who never eat dinner together, and I do think it's odd. It's usually the one time of day where everyone can sit down together so I make it a priority and my kids seem to appreciate it.

 

[sam_gordon]

It's usually the one time of day where everyone can sit down together so I make it a priority and my kids seem to appreciate it.

For you maybe. Our kids are involved in school sports. When games start (as they do this week), oldest DD usually isn't getting home until 8p at the earliest. Often it's 9 after a road game. Since the two youngest ones get put to bed @ 8:30, kind of hard to have dinner "as a family". Even an "empty" week includes Scouts, classes, and practices with family members getting home at different times. Should some family members wait to eat (going hungry) for everyone to get home?

I'll tell you what, I won't begrudge you your ability to get everyone to sit down at the dinner table since that works for you if you don't begrudge the way our family does things.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Yes I notice it! We are one of the minority and eat together! My boys are teenagers and I fix breakfast for the 3 of us (hubby is at work) and we eat together. For dinner we eat together ....even during sports seasons we will eat early or late but there is at least one parent and child eating together. Like you I always cook and plan ahead so there is something good and fast to eat.

BUT there are the meetings that the coaches plan at 6 or 6:30 PM...the practices that go from 4-7PM or something. Even the school will have meetings (high school orientation, etc.) at 6 or 6:30PM.

I am amazed at the number of families that don't eat together...even those where parents don't work. My son had a friend eat with us last night and it was like he hadn't had a good, normal dinner for days. Also found it interesting that my son had an all day sport even (golf) and his two friends who spent the night and my son were ONLY ones who had a lunch (they left at 10AM and returned home at 5PM). Some nice mom packed lunches and drinks for all of of them. No one else did --- know kids are old enough to do themselves but must admit at 8:30 AM on a Saturday morning teenage boys are more interested in sleeping or eating the eggs and bacon that nice mom made for them than packing a lunch!!

And yes the phone does ring to during dinner with people "are you busy"... I see who caller ID says it is and let it ring. OR the new favorite is to ring a cowbell in the ear of the solicitation call. I can tell from caller ID (shows area code and then 000 and remaining 4 numbers) that is is "Rachel" from cardholder services telling me there is nothing wrong with my account but they can consolidate or reduce interest rate. I just need to push '1' to talk to someone. I will push '1' and then ring bell as loud as I can in their ear...oh well!

Enjoy dinner with your family!!!!

I think your future daughter in laws would like if you teach your son to do for himself! Or maybe just make up the basement for him, he can stay forever.

I find the cow bell ringing thing the most bizarre thing I have ever heard in my life. No one else thinks this is so weird? What a waste of time. You do realize the people calling you are getting paid regardless of how badly you treat them, right? What an odd waste of time!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I have friends who don't eat dinner until 8pm so they can eat together.

Another friend who feeds her kids at 5pm but eats with her husband at 6:30 when he gets home.

Another friend who makes dinner but eats alone and as all the family members trickle in from work/sports practices/dance practice ect.. they reheat the plates of food that the parent made for them.

At my house, the kids and I usually eat together but my husbands schedule various tons depending on work emergencies so I just save him a plate and he reheats it when he gets home.

Every family is different according to their needs. Although I do wish the schools would quit scheduling meetings at 6pm. For people who work an hour away which is not unusual in Atlanta, it's really difficult to go to the meeting. I no longer work full time but I feel for the folks who do.

I don't answer the phone during supper. I let the machine get it and will check it after.

 

[kittychatalot]

I don't think that many people feel this way about providing a nice meal and good conversation for their family. I had a mom who cooked great meals- most of which she learned from her grandfather, btw- so it is not just a chick thing! She taught me to cook. today people do not take the time to teach their kids how to cook so they are overwhelmed as adults to actually put a meal together. I could cook a meal for 30 people at any one time from just my pantry food- how many people can do that today? I bet your grandmothers and grandfathers could! They could make one chicken into 5 meals at least!

 

[sk!mom]

DH and I eat breakfast together everyday.

We manage dinner with DD14, 4 or 5 nights a week but we rarely eat before 7:30 or 8:00 to make that happen. It works for us since she's our only one to work around. At least once or twice a week, she'll have rehearsal after her regular dance class that won't end before 8:00-8:30. We don't wait past 8:00. She's often eating with friends once or twice a week, as well. I cook dinner every night, whether we eat together or not. We want to save money and eat healthier. If someone isn't home, we save them a plate.

I have no idea what others do. I would imagine that those with several children would have a harder time eating together often. More schedules to work around plus it would be difficult to expect younger children to wait on someone coming home very late.

Over the years, our meal schedule has changed as schedules have changed. When DD was little we had several years when we ate the second DH walked in the door (6:00) because DD needed to be in bed by 8:00. If you'd told me then that 10 years down the road we'd be eating at 8:00 pm. I would have thought that was crazy late. Now it works fine.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I find it amazing in our lunchroom the number of people and families who don't eat dinner or eat together at all. I work both FT and PT so I'm not home two days a week, but I fix dinner for my DD and DH otherwise it defeats the purpose of me working if they go out.

All meeting seem to be starting at 6pm and go to 7:30 - soccer, church, associations...

I can't tell you the number of times I get phone calls between 6 and 7:30 with friends just wanting to chat and I say, "are you eating" and they say no.

Maybe it's just me, but I find it very odd.

Anyone else notice this too?

Well, when exactly should we have a 2 hour soccer practice? Seems logical to me that it would fall sometime between your dinner hour.

Sometimes my family eats dinner at 4:30 before practice. Sometimes they eat when they get home closer to 8:00pm.

Why on earth would you assume people should be eating at 7:15pm, and why would you find it weird if they aren't?

 

[momabaarjo]

OP was just making an observation and I think a good one. Why do other posters have to so rude!

I find it sad that families do not eat together and it fustrates me the number of activities that schools/sports/churches plan at 6:00-6:30. What is the point of being a family/having a family if you can't spend time together?

I try to cook for my family every night...which means that I am up early each morning preping so that dinner is a breeze in the evenings and we can spend some time together. Yes, when those events cut into family dinner time, my menu adjusts to fit the schedule.

As for spoiling her family and making some future wife a "great husband"...or living in the basement for the rest of his life...REALLY DID YOU HAVE TO GO THERE!


What amazes me is the number of families that live by eating out almost EVERY night of the week. I am amazed that people can afford that!

 

[pigletto]

We always eat together when we can. Even if it is a night husband won't be home due to work and I just make something quick ,the rule is t.v. off, and sit at the table so I can talk with the kids.
Now, that being said, it is one of the only times in the day we can all be together due to activities and school and work. And.. it varies what time we can get to it. On a hockey night? Could be almost 7 when we sit down. Tonight we finished at 7 as well because we had a late lunch. Tomorrow we might eat at 4:30 because that's when we feel like it.
I don't pay too much attention to how others eat though. Friends of the kids don't often call during dinner so I assume they are eating too.

 

[Pembo]

We eat dinner together every night. If someone has to leave earlier, they eat earlier.

And to answer the Op's question...it does seem that people don't eat a sit down dinner as much anymore. I know my kids friends are always amazed that we sit as a family everynight.

 

[ajseagles3]

we find a way to eat together 5-6 nights a week whether we have to do it earlier (due to practice) or late. We do have to eat the little one early, but then she still sits w/us as we eat later.

 

[mdsoccermom]

OP was just making an observation and I think a good one. Why do other posters have to so rude!

I find it sad that families do not eat together and it fustrates me the number of activities that schools/sports/churches plan at 6:00-6:30. What is the point of being a family/having a family if you can't spend time together? I try to cook for my family every night...which means that I am up early each morning preping so that dinner is a breeze in the evenings and we can spend some time together. Yes, when those events cut into family dinner time, my menu adjusts to fit the schedule.

As for spoiling her family and making some future wife a "great husband"...or living in the basement for the rest of his life...REALLY DID YOU HAVE TO GO THERE!


What amazes me is the number of families that live by eating out almost EVERY night of the week. I am amazed that people can afford that!

So, I ask again, when should a 2 hour meeting/practice be held if not at 6:00pm?

As for the bolded, I just find it amazing that there are people that can't grasp that not eating at a traditional dinner hour isn't equal to not spending time with one another at all. As if there is no other time ever for a family to sit and eat or chat. I can guarantee that while my family is not eating at your prescribed times, we manage to find quite a bit of time to spend together.

 

[Styx Fan]

I will push '1' and then ring bell as loud as I can in their ear...oh well!

How completely mean! Do you really think that is going to stop the offending company from having those reps calling you? The folks making those decisions are no where near those call centers. The callers are just making a living at a not great job. Can't you just hang up the phone?

 

[disykat]

We eat dinner together every night, (well, almost - our kids are busy teens) but are usually done by the time window you suggest.

My kids have one season of 5:00 - 9:00 practices two days a week so I try to leave something in the crock pot or easy to do so they can just eat even earlier those days.

 

[n2mm]

I find it amazing in our lunchroom the number of people and families who don't eat dinner or eat together at all. I work both FT and PT so I'm not home two days a week, but I fix dinner for my DD and DH otherwise it defeats the purpose of me working if they go out./QUOTE]

Is there a reason why your DH can't fix dinner? I'm confused by this. Surely if you're out there working, he can certainly fix dinner and feed himself and your DD 2 days a week. He can't be that helpless.