Why Family Dinners Are Making a Comeback in Westchester
September 24, 2025
As my three children see me pulling out the placemats and clearing off the table they groan, ugh, are we having a family dinner tonight? Thirty minutes later, we’re gathered around a meal. John Coltrane is playing in the background, my 14-year-old is laughing at something silly my 12-year-old said, and my almost-always-grumpy 16-year-old is actually smiling too. Everyone is enjoying the all-too-rare moment that we’re focused on the same thing: the food—and each other.
This scenario isn’t as frequent as I’d like it to be, but I’m trying to be more consistent. And apparently, I’m not alone. Despite what many believe is a decline in families dining together, according to the Institute for Family Studies, family dinners have been trending up since 2003 when the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) began. Not surprisingly, families sat down to eat together more often during the pandemic, and for many, that habit stuck.
