Does your family eat dinner in front of the TV?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jrnami
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
We eat out just about every meal. When we do eat at home, we eat at table.

All of us hate home-cooking and home clean-up. We talk more when we go out, and so that’s why we go out. We also eat less, and usually eat more healthy when we go out. And our cats don’t bother us when we eat out, and there’s no cat hair in our food. We just like eating out a lot.

It may sound expensive, but I don’t cook cheap when I cook. This weekend, for our July 4th picnic, I spent $54.00. It would have been cheaper to eat out. And cooler. And a whole lot easier. And I think we all would have talked more. The family spent so much time fussing over whether the burgers were done or where the forks were that it was just plain frazzling.
 
We too have an open floorplan, but, we also have an odd family 🙂 We eat dinner between 8:30 and 9 PM every evening. Sometimes the TV is on, but, not really like we are all sitting there glued to it. It may be news that is on and we discuss the current events…
 
We never watch tv while eating. I mean, occasionally a football game will be on during dinner and my dad will listen, but usually, he’ll just wait until after dinner and clean up then go running into the living room…:rolleyes: But we never eat dinner in front of the television…to think of it, we never watch TV together…I only watch a few programs on tv, and my parents are antiques roadshow fanatics…UGH .anyway, I wish never was an option on the poll.
 
I try not to, but more often than not it happens. Dh and I both work full time and I don’t get home until about 6. So usually we get home and all of our junk gets tossed on the table. Then I make dinner really quick and it is already about 6:45, so we just plop down where ever we have free space.

We did just buy a table for the patio and have been eating out there together much more often. 👍
 
We always eat in front of the TV and have done so since I can remember. The only time we eat at the table is when my big brother or sister come over with their families. Half the time we don’t really even have organized meals because its such a rarity for my parents and I to all be home at the same time for dinner…that and I’m a super picky eater and flat out refuse to eat about 80% of what my parents eat so I always cook for myself :rolleyes:
 
I could almost verbatim post what Kanda posted with one exception: dinner isn’t usually ready at our house until 7:30. I am usually rushing DD to finish by 8 so I can give her a bath and get her to bed by 8:30. 😦
 
When my children were home, we always ate at the table, kitchen or KR, depending on occasion. Never thought about TV. Now that they are gone, and we can do as we please, we watch jeopardy while we eat–at 7:30. And we eat what we like not what the kids like. Empty nests are wonderful!
 
My wife and kids never eat in front of the TV. Growing up, my family almost always watched TV while we ate dinner. Now, as a grown up, I wish we had talked more. My wife was the same story: always ate in front of the TV. We both see the merits of actually talking to each other and relaxing. While watching TV, conversation can get squelched because you miss what’s going on on TV. It’s either one or the other. Eating at the table without the TV builds conversation skills and allows the family to have a sense of intimacy with each other. I think that’s important.

It can be an easy habit to fall into (eating in front of the TV) because, in many ways, it is the path of least resistance. You don’t have to work at conversation, and there are no awkward silences. However, like anything else, it takes work to turn from bad habits and instill virtues.
 
When I grew up we always ate dinner in front of the TV. I realize now that my father was a television addict in fact. We just watched television and never spoke with one another then. Twenty years ago I got rid of my television for good and since then I got married. When have dinner and breakfast we usually talk for an hour, which is a good time to get close. I told my wife I would get a television if she wanted, but she has never wanted one.
Television disrupts family life in a number of ways, not only due to its morally offensive programming (and do you really want your television to teach your children the moral values it promotes?), but for example because it comes to control your home in some ways. If there is a show you like at 8:00 P.M. Tuesday night, that is what you do every Tuesday night at 8:00 P.M.
 
I voted 1-3 days a week. We’re happy with that arrangement, however as the kids grow older and start to eat dinner with us more (and not earlier than we parents do) we will probably not be eating in front of the TV. Just depends on the kids’ bedtimes, etc 😉
 
I said usually, but it’s only me and DH, no kids. If there were children involved I would absolutely NOT eat dinner or any meal in front of the tv. We do this only because it is our relaxing time to watch the news together and just relax after a busy day. We don’t just zone out at the tv, we talk about the news together, and what we both did that day at work, then maybe a little snuggle on the couch before we clean up the dinner dishes.

~Liza
 
**Never. Dinner time is family time for us. We sit and talk about our day with dad and eachother. 😉 **
 
Never. Dinner is the time to discuss the events of the day with each other.
 
I voted rarely.

Growing up my immediate family NEVER ate dinner together, unless it was a holiday. sigh My mom and step-dad would watch T.V. My brother would be on the computer and my other brother would be in his room (or moved out depending on the time). Me I ate at the table, by myself le sigh

So my husband and I decided we would NOT be eating any meals with the television on. He is working 2 jobs, but I am still adamant that breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks get eaten at the kitchen table or dining room.
We don’t watch that much t.v. anymore anyway
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top