This article was originally written in April 2015. In 2022, after a comment from my daughter, my goal was to slow down. I noticed it was becoming harder to get my family together, so I invited an expert to give us insight for making family meals happen.

You'll find tons of helpful information above and below, including resources and links, a podcast episode, books, and more.

What to do if Family Mealtimes Stop Happening

The importance of family dinners is clear, however life happens. After four of my six children became adults and moved out, our routines gradually became less consistent. Add in the fact that my husband commutes to work. Family mealtimes weren't happening.

While frequent family meals is high on my priority list, the cold hard fact is that as kids grow into young adults, it's not always possible, our schedules were all over the place.

I reached out to FamilyDinnerProject.org for some tips.

Links Mentioned In Podcast

Benefits of Family Dinner for Adults (Empty Nesters, College Students, etc.) Family Breakfast Project - Activities with make ahead or quick breakfasts to get in some quality time Welcoming Table - A special series of resources for families with unique mealtime needs and challenges. Family members who are on the autism spectrum, or who have ADHD, learning disabilities, feeding disorders, or sensory processing issues need family dinner to be a safe and welcoming space.Technology at the Table - resources to help you decide what feels best for your family, along with fun ways to use devices to enhance family bonding, not distract from it.Youth Sports and Family Dinner - top tips and advice from a team of experts, as well as meal ideas that are perfect for busy athletes and their families. Use these tools as inspiration to keep family meals on the calendar, right alongside the big game.Eat, Laugh, Talk, The Family Dinner Playbook - 52 weeks of ideas for achievable family dinners with great food, fun and conversation. With tips to overcome common dinnertime obstacles, set goals and get closer as a family. Chapters on picky eating, screen time, tension at the table, busy schedules and more — plus hundreds of easy recipes and tons of ideas for engaging conversation and exciting dinner games.

Other Posts Mentioned in Podcast

Meet Bri DeRosa

Here are two examples of newsletters from the Family Dinner Project that are applicable to this podcast episode.

Family Dinner with an Empty NestTeens at the Dinner Table

Rebecca: I actually reached out to you because I am struggling myself with this subject, and so I thought as much as I try. And as much as this means to me, if I'm struggling, there have to be people out there that are also in the same boat.

Rebecca: It's easy to think that, Oh, I'm the only one that has this problem. My life is so difficult and busy. But it's not true really. 

Bri: No, I mean, it's. We hear from so many families that this is challenging, This is hard. Family meals have gotten more difficult over the years. The external pressures, the things that make family life what it is today are actually like, they pretty much work against family meal times, right?

Bri: And, and everybody has this sense that like, I'm supposed to be able to do it all. I'm supposed to be able to do it all and do it perfectly. And that is not the. So, no, you are not the only one who is struggling. I do this for a living and I sometimes find it difficult, so I think we all just need to own right up front.

Bri: It is hard. It is hard for everybody. There are no right answers. There are only things that might help. Right. That makes me feel so much better. 

Bri: Can you introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about what you do at Family Dinner Project? Sure. So I'm Bri d Rosa, and I am the content manager for the Family Dinner Project. So I do our communications, our editorial, our website , our social media, you know,