Do Families That Dine Together Stay Together?

Setting the table was always done by one of the kids. Every night, I cooked dinner, the table was set complete with napkins, and we all sat down together.

No cell phones when the kids were teens so we actually did something unusual—we had conversations.

I was thinking about this recently and wondered how many families actually did this in today’s world.

I did a little research since it’s easy to find statistics about most things.

Here are some eye-opening facts about the family dinner that was a required tradition in many families of yesteryear including my own family when I was young, and the family I created with my husband. I’m happy to report that it’s more often than not the tradition in each of our kids’ households too.

How has family dinner time changed? Here are a few of the most recent family dinner statistics, courtesy of Professor Google and Instacart which did an in-depth survey of the subject.

FAMILY DINNER STATS IN AMERICA

(1) Two years ago, 91% of parents surveyed said their family was less stressed when they shared family meals together.

(2) 84% of adults wish they could share a meal with loved ones more often.

(3) In 2021, survey said parents who served dinner by 6:15 p.m. spent 27% more time reading to their children at night, 18% more time playing with their children, 14% more overall time with their children, and 11% more quality time with their children. (Instacart Survey, 2021)

(4) About 50% of millennials say they cook dinner from scratch, but nearly 70% of baby boomers still cook dinner at night.

(5) About 54% more are cooking dinner at home now than before CoVid in 2020.

(6) A 2022 survey found that most consumers who cook at home plan their meals in advance because it makes meal preparation faster.

(7) How long does it take to cook dinner? About 75% said it takes less than one hour, and 30% sid it takes less than 30 minutes.

Life is so frantic and rushed that taking time to cook dinner and share it with one’s family is a way to slow down and smell the roses—or the spaghetti depending on what’s being served tonight. 

You’ll all look back on dinner time with fondness.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

In our family, the kids still talk about dinner time with the family—especially the funny moments like knocking over a full glass of milk and everyone scrambling for paper towels—the touching moments, the conversations about family, friends, movies, books, and what was going on in the world. Looking back, I now view even the most mundane remarks as priceless.

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Joan Reeves aka SlingWords: The Word Slinging Adventures of Joan Reeves