Family Dinner

For years I have known the value of a family dinner.  I have a Masters in Early Childhood Education and I teach Child Development -- the importance of a family having dinner together several times a week has been well documented.

Still, knowing the importance of a family dinner does not mean that our three children sit down every night with Hubby and myself for a family dinner.  We are starting to have family dinners every now and then -- now that all three children eat at the same time, Hubby and I try to sit down with them, but it doesn't always happen.

A few days ago, however, we did sit down for a real family dinner with everyone eating at the same time.

As I've been known to do with our family, I asked each person at the table how their day was today.  I first asked Howard, how happily smacked his try as a response.  Then, I asked Caroline who smiled at me and cooed.  Then, I asked Tracey.

She answered, "Great," and when I asked her what she did today, so sort of smiled at me and said, "Okay."

Then, I asked my Hubby, "Daddy, how was your day today?"

He replied, "My day was wonderful.  I got to play with Tracey, and spend time with Howard and Caroline, and we had a wonderful day as a family.  It was a great day."

Then, Daddy asked me, "Mama, how was your day today?" -- but before I could respond, Tracey interrupted both of us and said, "Ask again!"

So, I asked Tracey again, "Tracey, how was your day today?"

She responded (in two-year-old vernacular, "My day was wonderful.  I got to play with Tracey, and spend time with Howard and Caroline, and we had a wonderful day as a family.  It was a great day." 

She repeated verbatim what her Daddy had said a minute before.

...

And the light bulb went off in my head -- for years I have read about the importance of a family dinner, thinking that it was a way for families to reconnect and invest in each other's lives -- which it is.  But, what I saw take place right before my own eyes was our two-year-old pay attention to to social situation and want to participate and grow her vocabulary on the spot in order to join in Mama and Daddy's conversation in a grown up way.

I don't know that we can average five nights a week... but we will be making family dinner a priority as much as possible!