Call Me Old - Fashioned...

What to do when it is your mother calling at dinner time? She's the one who used to say, "We don't answer the phone at supper time!

We've actually let the phone ring during dinner, which confuses my son to no end. "The phone's ringing!" he says, like we can't hear it. And we tell him, "That's OK" and go on eating.

That poor little girl, really.

Absolutely! I have a hard time getting everyone around the table, try as I might, but we certainly connect at many other times throughout the day, and when you go out it feels especially rude to ignore those around you.

I think in this case, being Old Fashioned is very very valuable! It always drives me nuts to see people with their kids when they don't interact with them at all during mealtime. Some of my fondest memories of childhood are around the dinner table, the laughter, the CHAOS, and the sharing of food. Even if we were all fighting, it didn't matter. It was a big sloppy mess called family.

I try hard to get us all around the table. We have a rule to not answer phones and keep TV off. But as the kids grow and grow it becomes harder to make it happen with our busy schedule....all the reason to remind myself how important these times truly are....thank you!

I completely agree with you on this one. Protecting family time is so important. About two years ago I went to a seminar where the man speaking shared some research on family dinner time. It was staggering to see what an important role family dinner time played in determining our children's success in several areas. Our children need family dinners, and they need our full attention when we have them.

In general we've become addicted - and quite frankly rude - with our use of technology these days. I would add a few more inappropriate places for cell phone use: 1.At the register at the grocery (or any) store. 2. During a movie. 3. During church worship. 4. While on the phone already talking with someone.

We have a rule at our dinner table - No Phones Allowed! Dinner time is a time we talk with each other about our day's, etc. I'll take the old-fashioned way any time!

We have dinner every night as a family, sitting down at the dinner table - no phones, no TV. I find this is when I REALLY hear about how my kids days went. When my kids come home from school I give them a kiss, ask them how their day was and get the usual 'it was fine' or 'good', but at the dinner table, I get all the details as to what 'it was fine' or 'good' means, including from our teenager.

Call me 'happy to be old fashioned'!

Great post!

This blog almost brought me to tears for that little girl.... OMG how sad is that? =( And you are 100% right about the dinner-time-rule. Our house while growing up: it was not OK to answer the phone at dinner and we had to be engaged in the conversation at hand. My DH is guilty of playing on his iPhone at dinner. I had to nix that real quick ninja-style. Lol. It is amazing what 20 some-years can do to change the family dynamic. =(

Oh one more thing I omitted, do you think it all started when.........President Jimmy Carter and Roselyn Carter allowed "Amy" to stick her nose in a book at the dinner table, not joining in on dinner topics, I just thought that was too weird, my Dad wouldn't have allowed it, you know how at the dinner table, things would be going well, you're enjoying your dinner, and well you just might start "humming" quietly? Well my Dad used to "call us out on that". Mom and Dad are both gone now, but I've never forgotten, nor shall I ever.

Spot on ! It's amazing how all those lil' (really big), mannerisms that were a part of our daily life at home with our parents, comes round' full circle. God Bless You.

Its funny how times have changed, I too must be old fashioned . In my house we always sit at the table for Dinner and phones are not allowed, T.V turned off, Computers set aside. Sometimes it is the ONLY time in the day that we all get to connect. I look forward to it everyday. What I have learned from my girls friends is that we are no longer the norm and that alot more families are disconnected at meal times and that is sad. We still say grace and hold hands and give thanks for one good thing that happened to each of us that day, the girls friends find this uncomfortable at first but then they also look forward to it the next time they join us. I enjoyed your post and showed my daughters so they finally believe that we are not the only ones!

I agree. Our rule is "no toys at the table," and quite honestly, that includes my phone/other forms of tech.

Then I, too, am old-fashioned. There is a time and a place for everything, and certainly there are times when work during dinner time is mandatory and necessary. But for the most part, dinner time is a great opportunity to connect with all the young and older members of the family...even if it is only, say, Sunday suppers. (Smile!)

I've gone to restaurants, Saturday or Sunday brunch, where couples are each in their own world (on their cell phones or reading a newspaper while the other is reading a book). How sad I feel for them. Or maybe it is just me. Like you said, "old fashioned!" But I LOVE my family time.

Great post!!

~Virginia

I'm really bad for this. Maybe it's because I'm with my kids all day, but I often bring my laptop to the table once I've finished eating my own supper, and my husband often his his iPad or BlackBerry with him, too. Not that we would ever do that in a restaurant... sigh. There really is no excuse for it, though, is there? It's bad manners and we're modeling that for our kids (ack!). It's gotta stop.