Free for all at the dinner table. Don't be late!
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
July 1, 2007 12:02am CST
Growing up, dinner time was mandatory for everyone in the house. There was no such thing as being late for dinner in my mother's house.
But, now that I have my own family, dinner time rules are a little less strict. I guess it's easier to do things that way, since everyone's schedule is so different in my family. My spouse has a night time schedule, so he eats breakfast at a time when most people are eating dinner. And, I eat whenever I can remember to do so. And, our daughter eats food constantly!
That means dinner is a real free for all, around here. If you show up at the right time, you're likely to get a freshly cooked hot meal. If you sleep too long or play too late, you'll get whatever's leftover in the fridge with no complaints. You can use the microwave, right?
Anyway, I can't possibly be the only mom that has this type of dinner arrangement going on in her house.
Please share your family dinner style. Are family members expected to show up at the same time? Or, is it buffet style dinner, with everyone serving themselves as they show up?
2 people like this
3 responses
@velvetprinzess (1064)
• Singapore
1 Jul 07
My parents would fix a dinner time for us all everyday. This is the time at which all of us have to be home for dinner. That's because my parents felt that it was important to dine together as a family.
If we had to be a little late, that's fine because the rest of the family would wait for us to have dinner together. However, if we were going to go home late, then we would have to have dinner on our own outside. That's because my parents would prepare just enough for those who would be having dinner. They didn't believe in having too much leftovers as these wouldn't be as fresh.
@sid556 (30953)
• United States
1 Jul 07
My family was the same. Mom always expected us to be there at dinner time and on time! It was a big formality in our house to have the table set and for us all to sit down together. If one of us was late for no valid reason, mom was not very cool about it at all! Manners were tantamount. I had a giggling problem...once I started I could not stop. how many times I got sent from the table for laughing too hard at something one of my brothers would say. That was back in the day when moms stayed home or only worked part time.
Life is too hectic now. The times that my girls and i were able to sit down at the same time for a dinner are very cherished memories for us all. On those occassions, we all worked together in the kitchen setting the table properly with matching dishes and candles as well.
One tradition that I have held onto and passed onto my girls is the importance of a well balanced meal. Even on nights when we were all running in different directions, I fixed a homecooked meal. I often put the meals on plates and stored them in the frig to be zapped in the microwave.
Pot pies, boxed mac.& cheese, hotdogs, canned soups, frozen pizza etc. are all treats for us as they very, very rarely were dinner for us.
Now that 3 of them are grown and moved on, we try to all get together a couple of times per month to have a sit-down dinner together. we take turns cooking for each other. It is alot of fun.
2 people like this
@huggiebear22 (2007)
• Canada
1 Jul 07
In my family it was either getit the first time round or get nothign at all somedays rarely ther ewere left overs
1 person likes this
