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The family dinner isn’t lost (As least for me)

One of the things I love about my family is every night we have dinner together, talk about the day, and just spend a little time together. No distraction of the phone, TV, computer, or anything.

We each get to talk about what is going on, even though we all really know because my kids are home taught. We have a close relationship with our kids and are very involved in their lives from, obviously, school, coaching their baseball and softball teams, and being a part of their girl scout troop and church events.

I love being this involved with my family, but I still like to know that every night at 5:30, I will be sitting down with my family and eating dinner. It gives me a goal, a finish line, a cheering crowd that I know I can count on day in and day out.

I love my family and look to them everyday as support! They are my rock and without them, I know I wouldn't be the same. I want to make sure my family understands that they come first, yes there are times that it does look like (to them) that real estate does come first, but I promise them it doesn't. If comes down to a closed listing or a band concert, even though my ears may bleed, I will be the biggest and loudest person clapping at the end of that band concert!

So go have dinner with your family, you maybe surprised what you can learn in 30 minutes everyday!

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Posted by Todd Clark (Broker) (503)524-9494 (Beaverton, Oregon Real Estate Expert) on 03/16/2008 12:37 AM

Comments (30)

The Family Dinner Table in the ActiveRain Channel

family dinner table

Originally posted at: Living Beaverton - Your guide to everything Beaverton: The family dinner isn’t lost (As least for me)

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30 Comments on The family dinner isn’t lost (As least for me)

MAR

2008

Todd - Great Positive post about your family...what does the saying goes

"The Family Who Eats Together Stays Together" :)

Todd- And it has been proven now that the kids who are in the families that eat together are smarter and do better in their studies. :) Well, we homeschool and so do you, so we know they are already a step ahead! :)

Todd- I grew up with a specific dinner time every night. I have kept that with my children, now 17 & 14. It is a great time to talk about their day and what is going on in their lives. I think that is one of the reasons my kids and I are so close and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Fantastic! We actually use are dining room. Not just for holidays!!!

Your Friend in Charlottesville, Virginia!

Todd, This is a wonderful tradition you have set for your family. Your children will always remember family dinner time. Isn't it sad that this is something special these days? It used to be all families had dinner together. Not any more. You're a good father and husband Todd. I'm proud of you.

Great post! It is the things like that, that keep the relationships strong! I wish I could say the same for our family...being my husband and I do the same thing usually one of us is always working late.

Todd, so true. We always ate together as a family both growing up and when our kids were younger. When they hit high school.........yikes, piano, violin, dance, football, etc.... really made it hard to do. So I cook, and whoever is there we sit down. Honestly with 5 kids, different schedules, it is more complicated when they get older so enjoy every minute.

Todd, We live by this as well. Although as the kids have gotten a little older with evening activities/sports, we have had to adjust the dinner time together to something else at time. Whether its time before bed, or breakfast all together or whatever - every day we make sure there is a block of uninterrupted time.

Todd, we homeschool too and not only do we have dinner together, we cook together too... I'm with you, family comes before business.

Todd: Our dinner every night is our family time for sure. It also saves us alot of money, as we don't eat out. In the last year, I have kinda mastered the family dinner....and we love it. Priceless time as my son is growing so fast, now 14 and he helps cook too.

Todd - I love the fact that you have the "family dinner." We used to really look forward to this, of course it became harder as the kids got after school jobs, sports etc. But, we always had Weekend brunch and a couple nights a week for family. Enjoy it while you can, they grow up so fast.

Todd, we did that growing up, and really took it for granted as children. I am amazed at the decline of this wonderful daily ritual.

Todd,

We do the same...sports permitting...and boy do we have some lively discussions at meal time...there is virtually no topic we haven't kicked around! Thanks, Fran

MAR

2008

Todd, what a great post! From what I've seen of you and your family, you seem to have it all going in the right direction. I'm so glad to call you "Friend"!

Todd- It's so nice to hear that you are continuing this time-honored way of staying in touch with your family. When my kids were young, we took turns telling what the best part of our day was. My kids never figured out that I was starting them with the lifetime practice of seeing the glass half full!

MAR

2008

Todd - I love dinner with my family, and you are absolutely right about how much you can learn in half an hour. Once again, you have earned a spot in this week's Family Ties wrapup.

Todd, I agree that meal time is precious but when our oldest hit 9th grade, that is where I saw the 5:30 timeline fall apart. We shifted to her schedule and had dinner at 7, then when the next child hit high school we shifted to his schedule too. It all fell apart one sad day when we put four burgers on the grill and realized, too late when the burgers were done, that there were five of us present. It was sad, but we laughed anyway. :( I don't remember who found an alternate meal, probably me.

MAR

2008

Todd, I grew up in a family that ate together every single night. And Jim and I have already decided that we will be doing the very same thing with our children. I think it's too important not to. Great post!

Todd, that's awesome! Family dinner time seems to be a thing of the past for most of us. My boys are 19 & 17 & we are fortunate to have dinner together maybe 2x a month. Keep up the good work! God bless you & your family!

APR

Justin - That is the saying and I have to say we are a pretty close family!

Katerina - I know my kids are huge steps ahead! But, I love the fact that the kids don't ever even argue that we eat together, it just isn't an issue.

Bryant - Thanks! That means a lot to me.

Naoma - Just set the time and tell your clients that you are busy during that time, I have never had a problem with a client that didn't understand. If I did, I would drop the client in a heartbeat! FAMILY FIRST!

Missy - We have even figured that out! A lot of time we arrive at the sporting events early and have a BBQ.

Steve - We have also, we have many 4:30 dinners now during the spring baseball season.

Debbie - I don't cook unless we are BBQing, we don't want any deaths in the family. (LOL)

Christine - My kids do help cook, my job is to stay out of the kitchen.

Candy - I think if it gets to that point, we may have family lunches. Since we home school, this is very possible.

Patricia - We are the only family that I know that does it and even my kids' friends don't get it.

Fran - Same here, it is a lot of fun at times!

Linda - I'm glad to call you friend also and I miss you here in the rain and we need to connect up.

Elaine - That isn't a bad idea! The only thing is that we know what they did all day, but it can't hurt to see what they thought it was.

Jason - Thanks, I'm glad to be on the wrap up!

Susan - I think we will find away or have the family lunch, but we have had many a BBQ at the baseball diamond.

Maria - Start now, it is never too early. My wife started doing this even before kids!

Don - I think it is difficult, but we do what we can. Sometimes it is just a sacrifice that you have to make no matter what.

MAY

Todd: the best memories I have in life are those wonderful times around the dinner table. Our family loved to talk about everything. The biggest challenge we had was getting a word in...

Rene'

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