I recently read an article saying that family dinners are becoming less of a norm, giving way to more takeout dinners or notes saying “Will be home at 9 pm. Dinner in the fridge. Heat in microwave for 5 minutes.”
This made me sad. Growing up in a family where family dinner is a nightly ritual (ok, not as often now as it was before since we are all grown-ups), I know the importance of getting together every evening (or noon) and eating together. When I was younger, we would always eat dinner together.This was a time to catch up on what happened to us during the day (who wins the “I had the most unlucky day today”), to debate on some important or trivial issues (who’s better, Caludine Barretto or Judy Ann Santos?) , to discuss on life-changing decisions (is it time to buy another tv stand?), to fight, to laugh, to just be together. During this time, no excuse, you had to be there, and no phone calls, no TV, just our voices.
I must admit we are a noisy family, especially around dinnertime. (My friend who lives two houses away says that, sometimes, she hears us from their house!) When we have a very exciting (cheesy) topic (like travel plans or parties), when all of us have something to say, it becomes veryloud and chaotic…chaotic, yes, but fun. Even when we have opposing views on something, and voices are reaching the dangerous-decibel-level, we still have fun. It also helps that most of us have loud voices, and we love to “outvoice” and “outeye” (palakihan ng mata; trying to intimidate one another) each other. It is here also that we talk about serious things, that we make serious decisions, and where we learn of not-so-good things. That’s why I believe that our dining table absolutely cannot be sold…it knows too many secrets about our family!
I believe that this “eating together during meals” is one factor why our family is a close-knit one. Meal times have become an outlet for us to know each other better, know about what’s happening with each other, and simply to know that we have each other as a family. It is one time you have to make for your family.
So I hope that more familes will find the time to sit down and eat together…well, at least I will continue this on, even if I don’t really eat dinner.
PS, I found a great article on the benefits of eating together as a family. If you have the time, check it out, especially those who have familes already!
oh! i came from a noisy family, i missed that envronment, un sabay sabay kumain at ngkukwentuhan! kelan kaya un mauulit!!!! happy weekend kg!!! na miss ko nanay at tatay ko at mga ate ko,hehehehehe!
Posted by sunny at November 29, 2008, 1:15 pmi grew up on a family that eat together in dinner, lunch and even breakfast
Posted by emben at November 29, 2008, 3:43 pmWe also eat together. It’s like having a roll call. Cheesy but true, it feels incomplete when someone is ‘absent’. Happy weekend. =)
Posted by witsandnuts at November 29, 2008, 11:00 pmoo nga. nakak relate ako. 
kaso wala na eh. matagal nang di kami buo 
so wala nang way para kumain sabay2 whehehe uy nilagay pala kita sa blog ko. ganda nang mga entries mo eh
Sabay- sabay dati kami kumain when i was younger and bawal na bawal kumain sa harap ng TV.
The funny thing is nung nag start ata WOWowie nangunguna na Daddy ko sa harap ng Tv hahaha….(I noticed this when we were there in the Phil. last January) Oo, Pasaway din ang Tatay ko!
hehhe kg, naremember ko ads ni ate shawie about eating together hehhehe 
hmmm walang gana kumain kung kaw lang isa kahit masarap pa ulam mo
take care!
Posted by louraine at November 30, 2008, 8:04 pmGanun din family ko before… Kailangan complete kami when dinnertime comes… Before, naiinis ako sa parents ko for imposing something like that… But after I become a mom and as I got older… Na-appreciate ko yung feamily meal namin. We’re a noisy family too… And now, even if we’re a small family of three - we do the same
hi ate grace unfortunately some of the members of my family were nomads hehehe. ang mga sister ko kalat kalat pero when they come home we see to it we eat together in every meal pero ang hirap kasi not all the time they come home ng sabay sabay pero ayos lang hehe been awhile ate wala kasi akong net AGAIN hehe ngayon labo labo na nga kami ng globe saka mukhang friends ko na lahat ng members ng technical team hehe imy ate take care po palagi
Well ,i guess it’s really the quality that family members spend together that matters…:)
Posted by kumarenggrace at December 1, 2008, 5:33 pmay kami rin sabay sabay kumakain. dati samin, bawal mag tv pag kumakain. ngayon, sa sala na kami kumakain ahahhahah para sabay sa pagnood
Kami, we always eat together. I have work in an office not too far from our house, (like 15 minutes ride via tricycle) so I make it a point to go home during lunchtime and have lunch with the kids. Come dinner, when hubby and I are not too starved to get dinner at the mall, we make it a point to reach home and eat dinner with the kids. It’s a really nice bonding moment with the family.
Posted by sheng at December 2, 2008, 8:48 amkapag may pagkakataon na magkakasabay kami we make it special…
Posted by pakjwan at December 2, 2008, 2:10 pmI totally agree on this one. Sometimes when I have evening meetings (that I take from home), Garandee would wait for me to finish and never eats dinner first. We both understand how special this simple ritual is, and that makes me very glad.
Posted by Garando at December 3, 2008, 7:31 pmthank you i like coach sneakers
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Kami din. Pag oras na ng kain, bawal ang tv, cellphone, etc. Dati pa nga bawal magtawanan, siguro nakuha yun nung tatay ko sa mag lolo’t lola ko. Pero ngayon masaya na, puro rin mga kalokohan at bukingan. Kakalungkot lang na yung iba sobrang busy at hindi magawa yung ganun.
Posted by Rico at November 29, 2008, 11:53 am