Meals Together

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” - Song of Solomon‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I heard on the radio yesterday that less than 30% of American families sit down and eat dinner together as a family. I knew that the number had been declining in this busy world but that low percentage really shocked me! The program I was listening to was about eating healthier and they were promoting the health benefits of preparing your own meals at home with fresh ingredients and taking time to sit down with your family and eat a balanced meal that includes fresh fruits and veggies.

I was surprised because it wasn’t THAT long ago that the majority of our population gathered together as families at dinner time. I grew up in a neighborhood with and played with kids from catholic AND atheist families and one thing we all did every evening was go inside for dinner with our families.

When I reported this shocking number to my daughter, she said she wasn’t surprised. She said that her friends (at a Christian school) all think it’s weird whenever she has to disconnect from them to have dinner with her family. I thought that surely the percentage of families in a Christian school or in our churches who eat dinner together would be much higher but apparently I have been out of touch with reality!

I pray we, as a society, get back to a place where we recognize the value in setting aside the craziness of our schedules and regularly carving out time for meals (without phones or electronic devices) with our families. It benefits us in so many ways! We eat healthier, we practice our face-to-face social skills which is so desperately needed in this world, we discover things about each other and grow closer as a family, we pray and thank God for our food which teaches our children to be thankful and how to pray, we have opportunities to teach good manners and when dinner is over, the kids have an opportunity to learn how to help and contribute by clearing the table. There are no downsides to eating meals together - it is a matter of being intentional about the habits we develop and instill in our children.

Yes, we are busier than ever before and we can’t ALWAYS eat together. Tonight our daughter will be eating pizza with friends at a fun group event so she wont be home for dinner. However, that is the exception rather than the rule. The three of us that are home WILL eat dinner together (hamburger/vegetable soup that I made yesterday with cornbread and fruit). Everyone who is in the house at dinner time knows that we will unplug from our devices, set aside our projects, gather at the table, pray and eat dinner together.

I am really curious now because I thought that was what everyone in my circle of friends did. I didn’t think our family was an outlier in this area. I am interested to hear whether we are alone in hanging on to this traditional family value. Will you comment below if you also make an effort to eat dinner together every evening?