Asweet friend of mine shared that she had been reading about getting the family together for meals around a common table. We have always eaten most of our meals around the dinner table here at the Britton household so I thought I’d share some thoughts on starting up this tradition at your own house.
The first thing to take into consideration is your “other half”; your husband. Talk it over with him. Chances are, he will be for it. Most people like the idea of having the family gather together and eat a meal. But on the off-chance that he isn’t game, talk about a compromise where you eat some meals at the table together. There is no sense in making everyone miserable over where you eat your meals, especially the man of the house. And if he doesn’t want to eat at the table, just be sure the table is inviting and clean. Start serving the meal from the table buffet style. Perhaps he will see that the table could be a great place to sit and eat comfortably.
The biggest hurdle for eating at the table for most families is the television. Most families like to sit and eat while they are watching TV. The thing is, when you’re watching TV, you may all be laughing together, but you’re engaged separately. There’s not much talking or sharing of ideas and thoughts going on. There isn’t much bonding happening. And that’s why we eat at the table, frankly. To bond, share and talk. And to keep the living room clean but I digress.
Modern families live mostly separate lives; Dad leaves for work, older siblings leave for work or school, children go to schools, Mom leaves or stays home. And they are there all day long. When they arrive home it is crucial to reconnect with each other. That’s done most efficiently and pleasantly over the dinner table. Even for families who do not all leave during the day, the dinner table is the place to sit and talk, review the day and catch up with what is going on in each other’s lives.
Probably the second biggest hurdle to eating at the table is the condition of the table itself. In so many households, the dining table is a catch-all for whatever gets brought into the house. My table is no different; groceries, bags from Walmart, purses, backpacks yard tools, mail all get deposited on the end of my dining room table. Right now there is a house plant and a doorknob from Lowe’s sitting there.
But every day I get in there and clean off the table. I call children in to pick up what belongs to them. I wipe down the table and add a tablecloth some days. The table is for dining so I work to keep it cleaned off and ready to eat. I make that a priority for myself.
After the table is cleaned and ready, I find great pleasure in setting the dishes and silverware, putting down napkins and glasses. I usually get a child to help me do this. The clinking of sliver on glass and the talking that accompanies the setting of the table is part of what makes dining together so nice. I guess it sounds strange to you, but I find it so pleasant!
If your family feels awkward their first time or two at the table, you can make light of it. Don’t make meal times too formal or stodgy, or they won’t learn to love it. Just laugh and and enjoy the time together. If your family prays together, meal times are a natural time for that. If you do not pray together, then perhaps you could begin that tradition too. If your family is not used to praying together, start small and keep it short and heart-felt.
Eating together at the table brings with it a set of chores so be aware that you’ll need to clean up or assign someone to do it. The table will need to be cleaned, the floor swept and maybe mopped. Doing it after each meal is best. Its all part of the eating-at-the-table-bonding-experience.
My sweet friend who spoke about eating at the table mentioned that she cooks most of their meals from scratch, and how it would be nice to eat those meals at the table! I agree. It definitely would be nice and I think she can do it.
Do you sit down at the table for meals with your family? What are some of your tips for enjoying a regular meal time together?
Hello and welcome! I'm Sylvia Britton, and I've been online since 1996 offering encouragement and help in the spirit of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 at Christian Homekeeper. CHK is the original Homekeeping site on the internet
I am blessed to have a husband who works in a family buisness that is about 1/4 mile from our home. My husband and son both walk to work and are home for lunch and dinner which we always eat at the table. We don’t own a TV so eating in front of one has never been a temptation. I love our family meals and feel very blessed to have my husband and our youngest son working so close to home. We also pray before every meal, thanking God for his provision.
Our children are raised, married and have children of their own now. One tradition I have noticed that they have kept, is the Family MealTime Table. It was a challenge to maintain this while they were growing up, but I persevered. I was fiercely possessive of that time together. Don’t give up on it. Our society makes it difficult, but what a precious tradition!
The rule at our house for television watching and dining is sceduled for weekends only.
Sylvia, we used to eat at the table when our eldest kids were small, but we’ve gotten into the habit of eating in front of the tv. DH likes to eat watching the news, and we’ve kind of followed suit. Now that our son is home he also prefers to watch tv and eat. 🙁 Rosie and I did eat at the table together but she made such a fuss and wanted to eat ‘with dad’.
Christmas was the last time we ate round the table! :0 !
I’m not sure how to rectify this situation, esp now that my table has ‘caught’ a lot of stuff…funny how that happens! LOl. I do appreciate the post very much tho Sylvia, I live in hope!
We really try to eat every night at the table. My husband works some nites & can’t join us ~ he’s a radio sport announcer. Sometimes on Friday nits we’ll eat in the sunroom an watch TV But I do think it’s important to eat together. Most nites my father-in-law eats with us also.
I love eating at the dinner table. That is one thing that is a must in our home. We eat supper almost every night at the table. Once in a great while we all just grab something quick and sit and watch a movie or a show (and we talk all the way through it!). That was something I told me husband we had to continue when we moved to Florida. While living at his parents home we had supper at the table every night and talked about the day. It was neat to sit and have 3 generations at the table. The stories and the laughing.. Makes me smiling to sit and remember those meals.
Thank you for posting this Sylvia!