Why We Got Rid of Family Supper

Before we had kids, Paul and I regularly ate supper at 9 p.m. That was particularly true when we lived in New York, when we usually didn’t get home until 7 p.m. or so anyway.

That changed not long after Edith was born, and probably more particularly after we moved back to Ohio, where people tend to go to work earlier — and get home earlier. Supper began at 6 or 6:30 in our house for a long time.

That changed recently. The kids have been going to bed earlier, and getting ready was getting rushed, especially if Paul got home even 10 minutes later that normal. So for the last few weeks we’ve traded in family dinner for more quality time.

What that means in reality is the kids eat around 5 or 5:30. Sometimes I’ll eat with them, but often not. Then when Paul gets home he can actually play with the kids instead of spending those 90 minutes before bedtime largely in the dining room before getting on their pajamas. Paul and I eat after they go to bed - not 9 p.m. like in the olden days, but closer to 8.

We still eat together on Friday night and during the weekend, but we have found the split meals to work well for our family. We enjoy our time together more without rushing to feed hangry kids. I’m sure our schedule will change again in the summer when we stay up and outside later, but so far, so good.