We don't eat EVERY meal together, but almost. Sometimes we'll let the kids eat downstairs and watch a movie, but mostly we eat every meal together, at the dining room table. The kids set the table, often help prepare the meal, clean up after themselves, etc. Once or twice a month we eat out for a PTA fundraiser (Burger King night and Fazolis night), but usually at home, together. We catch up on our day, talk about school and crushes and whatever else we want to talk about. And NO TV!!

My nephew was here the other night and we had BBQd ribs, fried potatos, and salad. He walked in and his jaw dropped. He said "Aunt Abalyn, it looks like a banquet in here". He's almost 10 and I don't think he's ever sat at a table to eat at anyone's home but ours. It was pretty cute.

>>>Blended families - Like throwing a bunch of perfectly good lives in a blender, whipping them like a cyclone, and hoping that whatever you're left with doesn't have to be poured down the drain because it's too nauseating to stomach!<<<
~Serena~

I make sure to eat one meal a day with my family. I'm not a breakfast person so I usually clean the kitchen while SD eats breakfast. we have lunch together and then the whole family sits down for supper. I love it... some nights... others I just want to smash my head off the table, but thats just because kids can be SOOOO picky at three!

There are few occassions where certain circumstances don't allow us to all sit down as a family and eat dinner, but 95% of the time we do. We also have family night together, where we all have one night that we play a game together. The kids LOVE this, and it is a way to bring us closer together as a blended family.

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“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”

We do on most days. When things are hectic with sports and such, sometimes we just throw a couple of sandwiches at the kids before they collapse into bed, but for the most part, we have full sit down dinners every night and a big breakfast on the weekend mornings when the skids are with us. I think it's really important. Well for one, how else do kids learn table manners if they don't eat with adults who instruct them? And for two, it's good family time.

DH and I have always done that with the kids. BM is just starting to. When BMs mother lived with her, the kids told us that they ate alone and they weren't allowed to talk during mealtimes. Once when they were eating at our house during that time and one of them shushed the other and explained it to us. DH and I exchanged knowing glances concerning his evil wildebeast of an exMIL and said, no that's not what it's about at our house. We enjoy talking with them at dinner and finding out about everyone's day.

We eat together every night, conversation is slow since the kids are teenagers. I do think they like it.

When perfectson was young we ate together at night. Now that he's 17 and has something going on nearly every single day, sports or his job or whatever, he's never at home so DH and I fix something ourselves or we go out to eat. Weekends when the Skids are there I try to have at least one meal together sometime during the weekend but it just rarely works out. We have too much fun just living.

We do. Every meal that we are at home for (the kids are at school for lunch during the week, but on the weekends we eat it together). We sit down at the table as a family and eat. This includes my mom who is living with us, and my little sister (who is 16). This is an important time for our family. It's when we discuss how our days went, projects at school, upcoming events... so on and so forth. It was how I was raised, and one of the few good memories I have of my family before my parents split up.
DISbelief~

~You have to BE crazy to UNDERSTAND crazy!~ ; )

We every dinner together at the table with no TV on. Even when we dont have skids, hubby and I sit together and have dinner and talk about our days. Breakfast & Lunch, its hit or miss. They always sit at the table and sometimes we sit with them and sometimes we don't b/c we are not eating at that time. But dinner time is very important to us and you can get up until the last person is done.

Most of the time we do, all 7 of us---used to be 8, til SD18 moved out. Every night, with some occasions where we are unable to, but that is rare. And, that is one of the things all the kids, even when grumble at times, enjoy. They know that a lot of their friends don't get to do this. We ask how day went and such, and all get to share, even the 2yo. These are the things that will make the most impression on kids later in life. I know it did me

We always sit and eat with one another, to catch up on our day. The TV is off. VERY rarely will I get help though...that is a real bummer to me.

Not nearly as often as we should. When the sk's are not here and it is just my daughter and I, I usually make her dinner and sit with her while she eats. When the sk's are here we usually eat together but it is far from a pleasant experience, it is burping, farting, yelling, fighting with them to eat their food etc....