SNET Internet : Features : Survey : Family Dinner

02/26/99

We were somewhat surprised with the response to "Do you have "Family Dinner," having thought that the tradition was perhaps on its way out. Two-earner families, frenetic school schedules, high mobility -- there are plenty of reason why people don't sit down and eat together anymore, we figured.

But "Family Dinner" is alive and well among SNET Internet subscribers, despite competition and the changing times. More than 58 percent of respondents to our weekly survey say they have dinner with family all the time. About 10 percent said that family dinner was an event for holidays, and just under 13 percent said their schedules work against them.

The final results were:

Q: Do you have 'Family Dinner?'

If fast food is involved - 424 (4.5%)

Not with our schedules - 1,213 (12.7%)

Yes, all the time - 5,535 (58.1%)

Only on holidays - 943 (9.9%)

What family - 1,406(14.7%)

Here are your comments:

"You missed one ... "Most of the time!" My family gets together for dinner about 4 to 5 nights a week! So I couldn't choose between, "Yes, all the time" and "holidays!" J.T.
Editor's note: I would have cheated and marked "all the time" under the same circumstances, I think ..."

"I think that there should be another choice that says "we plan one, but no one remembers" because that is what happens to our family. (But of course, I'm the only one that remembers.) I have three old sons and it never works out. I even once made something up where each of my sons had to come home with a vocabulary word, and we would discuss each of them at dinner." M.O.

"How about a question for example, on whether you eat on the run, do you have the stereo on or do you talk to your kids? If you're home do you talk at the table or does dad read the paper or is the news on the TV or the kids are watching their favorite TV show? D.M.
Editor's note: Ahh, quality time. THAT'S harder to quantify ...

"In our home it is important to our daily lives to come together for a short period of time. We not only eat together but laugh and pray as a family. Sundays are special because Grandpa comes to visit. If families don't spend at least meal time together, how do they expect to support each other through the other parts of their lives. C.P.

Responding to your questionnaire, I fell into the 9+% of Family "Holiday Dinners." That's because there are only two of us left in our "empty nest." But along the way, we seldom failed to have at least the dinner meal together (with our three children, and later, a parent.) These meals always began with a prayer and continued with learning experiences. Our famous one was "How do you spell "vacuum." This was ingrained in the youngsters. Later, when one of the girls was in college, yes college, she was writing a paper and asked ... you guessed it... "dad, how do you spell vacuum." On Feb. 12 the gang, with grandchildren showed up for my 75th and we did the whole thing all over again." P.M.

Previous survey results are available.