Family Dinners: Still Important or Outdated?

I have no idea if this is unusual or not, but I don't have a dining room table. Really. When it comes to meal time, my little girl sits in her high chair and I sit on the couch and that's how we have dinner together. I know it's not ideal, but like a lot of NYC apartments, a dining room table is just a luxury I don't have space for.

That being said, even though I don't have a traditional dining room table, it is still important to me that my daughter and I have dinner together at night. My little girl is only 3, but I feel like this our special time to catch up with one another about the things that happened that day.

I also feel like it's one of the few times in the day when I can give her my undivided attention. I'm not thinking about (or doing) work. I'm not talking to anyone else. It's just her time to talk to her mom.

Sounds sappy, I know, but apparently there's some truth to it. Lots of studies say that kids who have regular family dinners are less likely to do drugs or get into any real trouble. Maybe because they know they'll have to regularly "check-in" with someone. Or maybe it's because these dinners are a small way parents can show they've taken a genuine interest in their kid's life and well-being.

What about you? Does your family still sit down and eat together or is the idea of a family dinner outdated to you? Share your opinion in the comments.

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