No, I don't think it does. If everyone was clustered around the *same* screen, I'd say "sure." (I have fond memories of eating dinner on TV trays, watching Jeopardy with my family.) But if everyone's in their own little world, the other people may as well not be there.
I have agree with the other commenters that this is not a family dinner. A crucial part of a family dinner is connecting with each other and this family definitely isn't do that.
Decidedly not a family dinner for me. At our house, we sit and eat and talk to each other and catch up on the days events. One a month maybe we ( the adults ) will okay reading while eating dinner. even though we are all big readers, we value our time together even more.
No, I don't think so. We are all often tempted to watch/read while eating (we're in a small home with the computer station a few feet away from the dining table) but I tell my 4 yr old daughter "it's hard to focus on the food and one another if we're watching the computer". So we try to live by that rule.
Delbelcoure, I was the kid who read the cereal box over and over again at breakfast because I love to read while eating. It's been the hardest part of the family meal dynamic for me not to read while having dinner. I love that you guys do read occasionally, maybe once my daughter is reading on her own, we will have a monthly "read and eat" night.
What would you like to see more of on the FFD blog?
Katja Rowell MD
click for website
Helping raise children with a healthy relationship to food and their bodies. Katja is a member of the clinical faculty with the Ellyn Satter Institute. She works with families struggling with feeding to bring peace and joy back to the family table.
Does this look familiar? What do you think? This was in the NYT recently about plugged-in parenting. Does this count as a family meal?
No way.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think it does. If everyone was clustered around the *same* screen, I'd say "sure." (I have fond memories of eating dinner on TV trays, watching Jeopardy with my family.) But if everyone's in their own little world, the other people may as well not be there.
ReplyDeleteI have agree with the other commenters that this is not a family dinner. A crucial part of a family dinner is connecting with each other and this family definitely isn't do that.
ReplyDeleteDecidedly not a family dinner for me. At our house, we sit and eat and talk to each other and catch up on the days events. One a month maybe we ( the adults ) will okay reading while eating dinner. even though we are all big readers, we value our time together even more.
ReplyDeleteI'm the one who asked about occasionally eating in front of the TV together--but this is taking it too far!
ReplyDelete-Michellers
No, I don't think so. We are all often tempted to watch/read while eating (we're in a small home with the computer station a few feet away from the dining table) but I tell my 4 yr old daughter "it's hard to focus on the food and one another if we're watching the computer". So we try to live by that rule.
ReplyDeleteDelbelcoure, I was the kid who read the cereal box over and over again at breakfast because I love to read while eating. It's been the hardest part of the family meal dynamic for me not to read while having dinner. I love that you guys do read occasionally, maybe once my daughter is reading on her own, we will have a monthly "read and eat" night.
ReplyDelete-Michellers