We don’t host many formal-type dinners…but we do have an open door please-join-us-in-our-meal-time policy & try to keep this motto in mind when considering our call to charity/hospitality:
“Hospis venit, Christus venit.”  (Latin for “The guest comes, Christ comes.”)
(We also have the cookbook “A Continual Feast” & it is one of our favorites!)

A nice tribute to the family dinner, with which we wholeheartedly agree. I was a bit disappointed, though, because I thought there would be more practical tips about what types of food work well for all ages, how to keep little ones still enough to have a conversation, how to handle early bedtimes that may fall in the middle of the meal, etc.

What a wonderful, encouraging post.  We always set the table, sit down together for dinner and take time for each other. We have 12 at home right now, and schedules permitting, we eat together every night.  Thanks for the extra insight.

Thank you for your post.  I agree with the clean-up suggestions.  It’s tempting to feel like my entire house has to be spotless, and pretty, and well-decorated, with matching china and silverware, and on and on.  But when I let that go and have people over anyway, I relearn that no one really cares.  I feel that so many of us with families really yearn to connect with other families and really don’t want those types of things to prohibit our fellowship.

I agree completely with the importance of the family meal.  One point I’d like to make is that the family meal need not be in the evening. 

My husband works from 3:30 pm to midnight so we are lucky enough to all breakfast together and as well as have our regular family dinner at 1 pm.

I’ve heard of families for whom the main family meal *is* a breakfast (English style).

I try to schedule naps around dinner but it does take some adjusting and I’ve had babies fall asleep at the table.  [meals that our whole family likes are meat loaf and potatoes with a BBQ glaze; spaghetti, chili and brown bread ... that sort of meal - if a child doesn’t like the food they can prepare themselves a sandwich to eat with everyone else] .  I sometimes prepare meals in our crockpot and leave it in the refridgator for my husband to start cooking when he gets home or often my husband makes the meal (he likes to cook).

My children are expected to use proper manners around the table but the younger children can excuse themselves after they’ve finished eating if they aren’t interested in the conversation.

When I was a teen we would have family dinner six nights a week (there was always one day a week which was rustle up your own food).  Everyone over 12 took turns making the family meal as well.

Thankyou,thankyou Anna for telling us you eat at 8pm or later!! I makes me feel 100% better knowing someone else is eating at that time! Try as I might to feed our family of 12 before 8pm, I consistantly end up with the meal on at that time. I was thinking I was aweful and beating myself up for not having supper sooner…  Do you do a snack or something earlier to keep kids from being too hungry?

Lori, yes, we had “tea time” growing—we always ate dinner late—which consisted really of lemonade and cookies most of the time, being in the tropics. The kids and I do have as snack around 3:30 or 4 PM. I do apples, popcorn, a quick bread, biscuits, bars, or other things depending on the day. 
Anna, I’d love to write ore about that sometime, but here are some quick tips: I rarely make different food for kids as my meals are simple. If there are a lot of kids the youngest go to the kitchen and moms make their plates after prayer and before sitting in the dining room. If lots of teens and they don’t fit with adults we open up another table for them nearby so they can be part of the conversation. Also, I have always had my teens help serve, they enjoy the responsibility, my rule is since I cook I get to sit and visit during dinner. They have been trained this way and do no mind it.  Just tonight we had neighbors over but my teens were gone to Latin, ballet, volunteering, and my 10 yr old took over serving, retrieving plates, bringing dessert and coffee. Sometimes if there aren’t other kids they can read book or watch a movie. Ask more!

For years, when our children were younger, we invited other families over for Sunday brunch after Mass.  This allowed the children and I to prepare the “seasonal table decor” and/or set the table the night before… it also gave me the option of simple meals of fruit, breads and muffins and bagels, and then a giant dish of scrambled eggs and heat-up sausages in the microwave.  Often I made batches of french toast or waffles on two griddles at once! There are also recipes that one can find for quiches and breakfast cassaroles that can work.

Sunday brunch also allowed the little ones to get home for that afternoon nap, or parents to linger at the table for another cup of coffee if the children were excused and playing outdoors for a bit. It also served families who might have had other family obligations later that day.