I made a radical change to our dining room. I removed our table and replaced it with a long, folding table and 7 metal folding chairs.
I like our old dining table, so I moved it into the school room for homeschooling.
Our old dining table was not big enough to comfortably seat a family of 7. From the time that Jersey #5 outgrew the high chair, we have been eating dinner with the children at the table, and The Referee and I in the living room. I have never liked that arrangement. I want to eat dinner together, as a family.
Eating at the table, together as a family has always been a dream for me. My family of origin used to eat together at the dining room table, as often as possible. I enjoyed our meals and conversations together.
The Referee remembers that his family of origin ate dinner in the living room, in front of the television.
Through the years of him working long hours, there has not been much opportunity to eat dinner together as a family. Our evenings are often packed with activities too, so dinner couldn't wait until later in the evening. Around the time that his schedule mellowed, our family outgrew the size of our table.
I decided to remedy that situation by swapping our dining room table out for the fold-up table that is normally stored until needed for parties. The kids were eager to help me and thrilled to assign themselves to a specific seat. In the picture above, they are having lunch with a friend, but their usual seating involves kids along the sides and Mom & Dad at each end of the table, with Dad at the head of the table, and Mom next to Jersey #5's booster seat.
It turns out, we all really like eating together as a family. The look of the table is not that important, it seems. The Referee has enjoyed our meals together so much, that he now makes a point to get home on time to be able to eat together before our evening activities. I like our meals together so much, that I make a point to get dinner prepared in a timely fashion so that we can eat together before our evening activities. The older kids like our meals together so much that they offer to help set the table.
Sitting at the table, eating dinner together as a family.....its not just a treat at restaurants anymore!
I like our old dining table, so I moved it into the school room for homeschooling.
Our old dining table was not big enough to comfortably seat a family of 7. From the time that Jersey #5 outgrew the high chair, we have been eating dinner with the children at the table, and The Referee and I in the living room. I have never liked that arrangement. I want to eat dinner together, as a family.
Eating at the table, together as a family has always been a dream for me. My family of origin used to eat together at the dining room table, as often as possible. I enjoyed our meals and conversations together.
The Referee remembers that his family of origin ate dinner in the living room, in front of the television.
Through the years of him working long hours, there has not been much opportunity to eat dinner together as a family. Our evenings are often packed with activities too, so dinner couldn't wait until later in the evening. Around the time that his schedule mellowed, our family outgrew the size of our table.
I decided to remedy that situation by swapping our dining room table out for the fold-up table that is normally stored until needed for parties. The kids were eager to help me and thrilled to assign themselves to a specific seat. In the picture above, they are having lunch with a friend, but their usual seating involves kids along the sides and Mom & Dad at each end of the table, with Dad at the head of the table, and Mom next to Jersey #5's booster seat.
It turns out, we all really like eating together as a family. The look of the table is not that important, it seems. The Referee has enjoyed our meals together so much, that he now makes a point to get home on time to be able to eat together before our evening activities. I like our meals together so much, that I make a point to get dinner prepared in a timely fashion so that we can eat together before our evening activities. The older kids like our meals together so much that they offer to help set the table.
Sitting at the table, eating dinner together as a family.....its not just a treat at restaurants anymore!
I like how you classify donuts as lunch! Until I was in high school (and it was just Mom and I at home during the week), we had family dinners. Yes, dad would miss some for work and we would miss them occasionally for school things like sports, but it was the norm to eat together. So, that is what we try to do now - at least one meal together a day as a family.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even notice they were eating donuts in the picture! Ha, that cracks me up! I guess I will have to assume it was breakfast then...
ReplyDelete