by Paul Schingle

Created on: October 03, 2009

If that's what it takes, then, yeah, families should take time out to eat together. The communication should (hopefully) come naturally. Unfortunately, it seems a little sad that families have to make appointments to eat together. But, it is understandable. Others may say things are different than when they were kids. I was going to, but as I look back I'm not sure I agree.

There was quite a bit of age difference between my three older brothers and me. When I was very young, we had dinner at a set time (usually, six o'clock) and everyone was expected to be there. But, my oldest brother was later on the basketball and tennis teams in high school. The next oldest was a wrestler. The youngest next to me also wrestled and played in a band. The point is, though we were expected to eat together, there were extenuating circumstances. By the time my brothers had grown, it so happened that my dad had a job that required a lot of travel. When I was in high school, it was fairly often that it was just my mom and me for dinner. And, I was on the tennis team as well, so sometimes...So, with all this busy, hectic running, it was hard for all of us to convene for dinner. Still, we made a point of it, at least four nights out of seven.

I think the more important aspect to take out of this question is communication. If dinner doesn't work out for everyone, it would serve all well if some time can be arranged where everyone can get together and talk. Better communication promotes better understanding. With regular communication, you may avoid the questions from mom that seem so stupid when you're a teen, and to which the standard teen reply is a roll-of-the-eyes.

As a general rule, a good set of parents don't want to dictate. They just want an idea of what the kids are doing and to know that they are safe. And, kids. It's not a crime to show a little interest in what your parents do. Asking about them is a big step towards growing up. At least pretend to be interested. It will really cheer the folks up. But, seriously, learning give and take in communication is a life long process. And, who better to teach than family?

Should families take time out for dinner and communication? I really think they should try to work out times to spend together and really talk to each other. Communication may not solve everything. But a lack of communication can sure destroy things quickly.

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