Parents’ Poll: What Is Dinnertime Like in Your Home?

What you'd like to change about family meals:

I find it challenging to find a menu everyone will enjoy. I also wish my husband would help with the cooking on the weekends, which he rarely does.

Since we get in so close to mealtime: kids are crying, homework needs to be done, bath water needs to be run, kids are asking "What's for dinner?" or "Can I play on the computer?" and of course the phone's ringing. Pre-eating is the most stressful time of the night.

It's a little boring! I try to get the conversation going, but once the topic is over for each one of us, that's the end of the conversation!

I wish we could just eat without any admonishing or bickering (she kicked me).

Due to Dad's schedule, it's a hit or miss if he gets to sit down with us or not.

I wish my children would have better manners, talk quieter, and we could have a better conversation.

I usually rush through my meal, anxious to get started on the clean-up process. I think it's more of a chore for me because I prepare the meals, supervise the table setting and the dishwashing/clean-up.

What some of you have found works:

I'd say it's the best part of the day to just be together without interruptions. (We don't answer the door or phone while at the table. That's what voice mail is for.)

We have adjusted dinnertime to wait for Dad to be home. Dad switched from driving to work to taking the train. One benefit is that he is home at a consistent, predictable time every evening.

We created a flexible schedule of meals and meal-making that takes the burden off of Mom (me). Sunday, hubby grills. Monday is veggie/bean night, and Saturday is pasta night, and sometimes the kids jump in and cook, too! :)

My husband and I try to alter who will work later, and we prepare our meal the night before to have a healthy dinner and not spend most of our time in the kitchen--therefore having more time with our child.

We eat together every night, but with our middle-schooler in football, sometimes it's late before we sit down.

It's the time for my husband to ask my son how his day at school was. And my son has learned to ask my husband how his day at work was!

Since I have started working I have been cooking meals in the crock pot, so they are ready when I get home.

Each child has a job to do--whether it's to set the table or to help prepare the meal.

We talk about the good things that happened at school, work, and home. We talk about upcoming plans and events. We talk about anything interesting that came in the mail or via phone or e-mail.

We have a "conversation starter" jar. Each person gets a turn drawing from the jar a piece of paper with a question. Some examples: What is your favorite food? What is your favorite holiday and why? What is your best memory and why? It really helps, especially if someone has had a rough day--it turns it around. My husband's family made it a rule that no matter where, you were to be at the dinner table every day by 6 pm. My husband said it influenced him a great deal in what choices he made, including unhealthy choices such as drugs and alcohol. He would not partake in those activities knowing he would be at home facing his parents. That is why we try to have family mealtime every day.