Friday Question #47
When you were in high school did you eat dinner with your family or on your own?
I was thinking about this the other day. About midway through my freshman year, around the time I started theater, I began eating dinner on my own or with friends. Then I started working at McDonald’s the following summer, and I think I ate dinner there EVERY night I worked. I became a manager after working for a year, and then I got FREE McDonald’s food every day I worked. Ha!
I remember I used to go to soccer practice or theater or WHATEVER after school and then go to work to do the closing shift. I would eat french fries, ice cream, tortillas with cheese, cookie dough, shakes… basically whatever I wanted, all night long. Wow. I can’t believe I didn’t turn into a blimp!
I don’t remember ever eating diner with my family on a school night during high school. But it was just because I was busy and doing my own thing. Is this typical?
Themocracy
a high school question!!! that takes me back!!! i ate dinner with the family up thru probably my freshman year (cause you know, i wasn’t old enough to drive so i had no choice, lol)… after that it was pretty much only on a “as required” by mom basis… i so didn’t want to be around or with the family… i was way “too cool” for them, lol!!! your post made me think of what i ate in high school and like you i find myself wondering how i didn’t just blow up huge!!! i lived on sonic, taco bell, and mcdonald’s… if i ate like that now i wouldn’t even be able to walk!!!
=^..^=
Yes, the majority of the time I did. My family is big on eating a home cooked meal, together, at the kitchen table, with the tv OFF. Of course once my friends could drive (I was a year younger than people in my grade, and didn’t get my license until I was nearly 17) I probably went out with friends Friday and Saturday night and ate with them.
I ate mostly every night with my family except Friday nights and date nights 🙂
I didn’t realize other families did not do that until I moved to California 🙂
High school was a tense time for my family. Dinnertime in particular since my dad was drinking pretty heavily then or he was not at home (after he moved out). I didn’t work late on school nights but I did work at Baskin-Robbins on the weekends and Friday nights.
Family dinners were an institution at our house. My mom would get pissed if we wanted to eat elsewhere during the week. And to be honest? Those were some of the best times with my family. Squeezing around the small kitchen table (even though my mom insisted we eat in the dining room), so we could watch the evening news and then Jeopardy. Sure, we fought A LOT as we got older, but we also talked a lot. Discussed current events. Or stupid high school shit. And to this day, it’s been the foundation for easy communications with my parents and brother. I wouldn’t change it for anything.
By the time early high school rolled around, my Mom was in her deep depression and never left her room…so yeah, ate dinner by myself or with my sister while watching TV. However, when I moved in with my Dad, I’d cook dinner and we’d eat together.
I always ate at home but it was usually after everyone else because of basketball or track practice. Mom left everything on the stove and I just made a plate and sat in the family room while my parents watched TV. We rarely sat around a table, even on holidays.
My wife’s family sat around a table for dinner. Her dad was a bit of a dick about his family excusing themselves before getting up, all kinds of things.
Luckily, they’re all pretty laid back now or I just wouldn’t fit in.
One of my best friends in high school always ate dinner out. Sometimes he picked up dinner for his parents too, but it was mainly just how it was. I don’t necessarily think either way is weird or definitely not acceptable. I think people just kind of find their way and do what’s best for them.
Great question. My answer is on my blog!
Ate with the fam, no tv, nearly all the time no matter what I was doing. Sort of a rare perk to eat alone and watch some tv if I had a lot of work to do.
During college, I videotaped a family dinner at home to show a friend back at school. Your take on it makes me understand better why people passing through the tv room didn’t believe it was real, thought it had to be all scripted. I get that not everyone has fondue from time to time but the other general bafflement from them didn’t make much sense to me.
Hi! I answered on my blog! Short answer is yes, but for the story of a memorable dinner, check me out!
It wasn’t until I was a senior that I started not eating dinner with my family as much. We lived in an area where the public transportation was virtually nonexistent at the time, and with none of us of driving age and nothing but a dry cleaner type strip mall near by, it was much nicer being at home! And McDonald’s! I worked there too, for a short while. I wasn’t allowed to work the night shift (still don’t know why they gave me the job anyway) so every weekend morning I did the opening shift. Ugh. Way too early!
Hi, usually I ate with family. But when mom and dad were building our house, we had to eat ourselves.
Sounds like you were very independent! That’s not a bad thing…. We always ate as a family around the dinner table. I also serve up dinner to my family and I just said last night, I had made nachos and served the twins and huz but my oldest (17) was at work and it made me sad. I said, “GAH! I hate it that I made supper and Dave is not here to enjoy it”. That is happening more and more. He works all day Thanksgiving and the day after too 🙁 I told him I’d make him a mad Thanksgiving plate and he could eat it the next day…. 🙁 I think it’s harder for the parent than the kid? Or, at least in my case it is.
I ate with my family a lot, or sometimes my best friend’s family. But I’ve heard it pretty much 50/50 among my circle of friends. I was in things like band and worked at a drugstore near my house so I didn’t have a lot of activities to tie me up around dinner time. Plus I didn’t get my license until I was 18 because I was terrified of driving–that restricted my roaming quite a bit!
CourtneyInControl – Isn’t it funny (scary?!) to think about all the crap we could eat in high school and get away with?! I didn’t even worry about my weight then. Those were the days 😉
Jenn – I hope that if I have kids we can have meals like that together. I think eating with the tv off is important.
Felicia – It is a lot different in California?
sizzle – I’m sorry that time doesn’t bring up the best memories for you 🙁
Nilsa – That sounds really great! It’s cool your family is so tight-knit 🙂
Hilly – Was that a time for you to bond with your dad, or was it too stressful?
ajooja – I agree. Everyone is different! I thought more people would say similar to what I said. I guess as long as we got food, it doesn’t matter when or where.
Kelly – I’ll check it out!
claire – Why did you tape the dinner? That’s interesting! Was it for a project?
Nicole – I’ll check it out! 🙂
BelleEnchanted – Oh my gosh. I hated opening the store at 5:30. HATE HATE HATED it! It ate up my whole weekend, because I was too tired to do anything fun during the night!
Noelle – They worked on the house during dinner?
jQ – I bet he misses eating with you too! I would 🙂
diane – I didn’t know that about you (the late license thing)! Can you imagine if you lived out here growing up? You might be too scared to EVER get a license!
Just to show a very close friend what my family was like, no project. I still have it. It’s kind of priceless ‘cuz I go off on a rant inspired by The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf.
To be honest, I don’t remember. It was just my mom and I and she wasn’t into cooking that much. I know we ate dinner together, but it wasn’t something that created any long term memories. I think for the most part, we ate dinner, but I was more interested in going off with friends.
claire – Your family knew you were taping, right? Ha ha.
martymankins – I bet a lot of teenagers have that on their minds during dinner 😉