I remember eating out most nights as a kid. I was in theatre, so I had rehearsals several nights a week, and if it wasn’t theatre, it was baseball, or marching band . Something was going on most nights, so we would eat on the run.
Most weeks we would take one night and head to one of my parents favorite restaurants (One of two Italian joints, a Mexican restaurant, or Gourmet Burgers) and have dinner together as a family. I remember those Sunday nights with fond memories, and its funny, when we all get together in my hometown, we try to make going to one of these memory makers a priority.
Now as parents and entrepreneurs, we don’t have as many dollars to be able to go out to eat so much, but the memory making ability of a meal still is a powerful image for me. I believe that having a meal together can improve your marriage, and here is why:
1. It makes you slow down and enjoy being together.
2. It forces you to talk together.
3. You can decide as a family what you are having to eat
4. It creates an environment of Family…not individuality
5. You are able to share about your day, you thoughts, your life
6. You encourage others by listening
7. You begin to appreciate who the other people are in your family (again)
TALK TO ME: How easy – or not – is it to sit down and have a meal together as a family in your household?
photo by prodigaldog
Stu & Lisa have been married 8 years (together 11) and have a heart to encourage couples in their marriages. They live in Middle Tennessee, have an awesome 6 year old, and a mutt named 'Boo'.
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Meals eaten together are extremely important. It is often the only time the construct known as ‘the family’ comes together and exists. As a counselor, one of the interventions I often recommend is for couples and families to have meals together, preferable the home cooked ones. I have been surprised at how many couples do not have family meals together and them wonder why their family feels like it is falling apart.
I guess its a sad commentary on our culture – really… we move and go so fast that the meal is easily thrown out the window, or not even considered!!
This is very important, but extremely hard at our house. Having a 2 yo around the house means nothing goes as planned, but we will continue to try to eat together… even if it only lasts 10 minutes.
Hey Eric – 10 minutes is better than no minutes in my book!!
Ditto Eric’s comment: very important and extremely difficult. The teen years are the craziest as kids spread their wings with friends and other activities, but we make it a priority and keep our timing flexible. A shared meal is one of our core family principles and one our children value.
So how do you manage it well Scott – with a 5 yr old, its a bit easier…but I remember my teen years – it was always eating on the run – or fast food! How do you keep your timing flex?
Simple but sooo very true!! My husband and I are newly married, so we don’t have the busy-ness of kids yet, however, we are getting in the routine of doing this at least 3 times a week or more!
Hey Charissa! Awesome – congrats on your marriage! Its amazing what a difference sitting down for a meal does. its a great time to reconnect and regroup – even when its just the two of you!
Having kids – we have also found that it is a great way to begin teaching manners – and common courtesy – how to listen and hold a conversation (but you won’t have to worry about all that until you have kids!!)
How easy – or not – is it to sit down and have a meal together as a family in your household? Eating dinner together is of great importance because, as you say, it gives the family time to re-connect with one another. I think that many families lose out on all that time when they don’t stop to prioritize this simple part of the day.
Sure, the fast-food industry has made it easy to skip family meals by providing an easy out. Hot food made at a moment’s notice can come in handy every once in awhile. However, nothing can replace the moments like breaking an egg over sister’s head to get a laugh out of dad or enjoying a home-cooked meal that is less expensive and much healthier for you.
In many homes, getting take-out food has become the normal way of life. Sadly, it will probably stay that way for quite some time. However, there is still hope that some families will find their way back to the dinner table and find each other again. Hopefully it will be sooner than later.
http://www.christianlovetoys.com – A Safe & Sexy Store for Christian Married Couples
How easy – or not – is it to sit down and have a meal together as a family in your household? Eating dinner together is of great importance because, as you say, it gives the family time to re-connect with one another. I think that many families lose out on all that time when they don’t stop to prioritize this simple part of the day.
Sure, the fast-food industry has made it easy to skip family meals by providing an easy out. Hot food made at a moment’s notice can come in handy every once in awhile. However, nothing can replace the moments like breaking an egg over sister’s head to get a laugh out of dad or enjoying a home-cooked meal that is less expensive and much healthier for you.
In many homes, getting take-out food has become the normal way of life. Sadly, it will probably stay that way for quite some time. However, there is still hope that some families will find their way back to the dinner table and find each other again. Hopefully it will be sooner than later.
http://www.christianlovetoys.com – A Safe & Sexy Store for Christian Married Couples
I think you make a good point – take out is a way of life now. But you know, even eating out TOGETHER can be beneficial. It might not be home, but I think you can still do many things around the table at a restaurant that you can do at home. Maybe not the egg thing…but close!!
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