--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody has heard that family dinner is…" description: "\"Everybody has heard that family dinner is great for kids. But unfortunately, it doesn't work in many of our lives.\" — Bruce Feiler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/bruce-feiler-8058_dinner_everybody-has-heard-that-family-dinner-i_2804040.png" --- # Everybody has heard that family dinner is great for kids… ![“Everybody has heard that family dinner is great for kids. But unfortunately, it doesn't work in many of our lives.” quote by Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/bruce-feiler-8058_dinner_everybody-has-heard-that-family-dinner-i_2804040.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/bruce-feiler-8058_dinner_everybody-has-heard-that-family-dinner-i_2804040.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/bruce-feiler-8058_dinner_everybody-has-heard-that-family-dinner-i_2804040.png) > “Everybody has heard that family dinner is great for kids. But unfortunately, it doesn't work in many of our lives.” [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Family dinner is praised for benefits, yet many families cannot practice it successfully. **In simple terms:** Family meals often don’t work in reality. Key Takeaway Adapt family rituals. Themes family tradition reality Mood pragmatic hopeful Type advice social When to use this quote - parenting - work‑life balance - social cohesion - modern lifestyles Key Concepts social bonding cultural expectations Questions to Reflect On - How can families create meaningful meals? - What alternatives foster similar bonding? A Different Perspective Changing schedules hinder meals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Dinner Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-great-2031629/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-dinner/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Kids Unfortunately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids-unfortunately-3469627/) [Our lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lives/) ## Related quotes > [“A dinner made by a great cook is a vision of the world to come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-storace/a-dinner-made-by-a-great-cook-is-a-vision-of-the-world-to-come/) [Patricia Storace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-storace/) > [The human frame being what it is, heart, body and brain all mixed together, and not contained in separate compartments as they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-human-frame-being-what-it-is-heart-body-and-brain-all-mixed/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She asked if I loved another woman, so I answered honestly and said, “Dinner was great, but I could go for dessert.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dark-jar-tin-zoo/she-asked-if-i-loved-another-woman-so-i-answered-honestly-and-said/) [Dark Jar Tin Zoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dark-jar-tin-zoo/) > [It turns out there's only 10 minutes of productive conversation in any family dinner. The rest is taken up with 'take your elbows off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/it-turns-out-there-s-only-10-minutes-of-productive-conversation-in/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [Dinner is a great first date. Don't believe that stuff about girls not wanting to eat on a first date - sharing a romantic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-electra/dinner-is-a-great-first-date-don-t-believe-that-stuff-about-girls-not/) [Carmen Electra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-electra/) > [The self-prepared dinner is a great time killer for lonely people and as much time should be spent on it as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/the-self-prepared-dinner-is-a-great-time-killer-for-lonely-people-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“a good dinner is of great importance to good talk. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-good-dinner-is-of-great-importance-to-good-talk-one-cannot-think/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [For a group of friends or a family dinner, fish tacos are popular and fun to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-douglas/for-a-group-of-friends-or-a-family-dinner-fish-tacos-are-popular-and/) [Tom Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-douglas/) > [I cook and I really believe in the family dinner, I think that's a nice time to bring the family together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-cook-and-i-really-believe-in-the-family-dinner-i-think-that-s-a/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [We don't have to talk about faith and family at dinner-we just show it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/we-don-t-have-to-talk-about-faith-and-family-at-dinner-we-just-show-it/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I am a marathon worker and marathon mother. I'll spend three or four days completely swallowed up by work. And if I make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika-brzezinski/i-am-a-marathon-worker-and-marathon-mother-i-ll-spend-three-or-four/) [Mika Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika-brzezinski/) > [For the past several centuries the bonding power of the family dinner table has been one of the few constants, and now it's binding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/for-the-past-several-centuries-the-bonding-power-of-the-family-dinner/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [“Here’s another example of the difference in our worldviews. A family in my sister’s neighborhood was recently stricken with a double tragedy, when both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/here-s-another-example-of-the-difference-in-our-worldviews-a-family/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I’ve got to go.” He hung up suddenly as if afraid of being caught. His mom had probably come into the room. The Zeemans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-ve-got-to-go-he-hung-up-suddenly-as-if-afraid-of-being-caught-his/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“Frankie had used one (reverently) to wipe his eyes.This specimen was old and soft,monogrammed with a J in the corner. "Makes it interesting," he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/frankie-had-used-one-reverently-to-wipe-his-eyes-this-specimen-was/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) ## More by Bruce Feiler > [Moses became America's true founding father because he evangelized action; he justified risk. He gave ordinary people the courage to live with uncertainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/moses-became-america-s-true-founding-father-because-he-evangelized/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [Even Superman's name reflects his creators' biblical knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/even-superman-s-name-reflects-his-creators-biblical-knowledge/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [But humans disappoint. Adam, in tasting the fruit, indicates that he prefers Eve to God, so God banishes them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/but-humans-disappoint-adam-in-tasting-the-fruit-indicates-that-he/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [The way to tell a really big story, I think, is to tell a really small story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/the-way-to-tell-a-really-big-story-i-think-is-to-tell-a-really-small/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [The key idea of agile is that teams essentially manage themselves. ... It works in software, and it turns out that it works with kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/the-key-idea-of-agile-is-that-teams-essentially-manage-themselves-it/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [The bottom line: if you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family's positive moments and your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/the-bottom-line-if-you-want-a-happier-family-create-refine-and-retell/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [Knowing more about family history is the single biggest predictor of a child's emotional well-being. Grandparents can play a special role in this process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/knowing-more-about-family-history-is-the-single-biggest-predictor-of/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [“A meta-analysis of sixty-six studies completed in 1992 found that mothers who have more support from grandmothers have less stress and more well-adjusted children.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/a-meta-analysis-of-sixty-six-studies-completed-in-1992-found-that/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [The bottom line: If you want a happier family, bring those skeletons out of the closet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/the-bottom-line-if-you-want-a-happier-family-bring-those-skeletons/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [I think that most of the action in religion is around the home, is in families, and is in individual lives, and they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/i-think-that-most-of-the-action-in-religion-is-around-the-home-is-in/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [My name is Bruce Feiler, and I'm an explainaholic. I first heard this word used to describe Isaac Asimov, and I knew instantly that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/my-name-is-bruce-feiler-and-i-m-an-explainaholic-i-first-heard-this/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [When I was growing up, I, like many Jews, cheered what appeared to be the receding of faith from everyday life. The further religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/when-i-was-growing-up-i-like-many-jews-cheered-what-appeared-to-be/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [You don't need a grand plan, you don't need to go back to the ancestors and rewrite the rules. You just need to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/you-don-t-need-a-grand-plan-you-don-t-need-to-go-back-to-the/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [I grew up in the age of discount air fare, and for me, the act of joining a culture was a great way about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/i-grew-up-in-the-age-of-discount-air-fare-and-for-me-the-act-of/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [I set out to write an anti-parenting parenting book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/i-set-out-to-write-an-anti-parenting-parenting-book/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) [Explore all 85 Bruce Feiler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) ## More Dinner quotes > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [My dinners have never interfered with my business. They have been my recreation. . . A public banquet, if eaten with thought and care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/my-dinners-have-never-interfered-with-my-business-they-have-been-my/) [Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [“We just went out for dinner. We didn't participate in a Roman orgy, I swear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-dahl/we-just-went-out-for-dinner-we-didn-t-participate-in-a-roman-orgy-i/) [Victoria Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-dahl/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [Sonny Von Bulow, who said to her husband Claus on their honeymoon, Stop needling me. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/sonny-von-bulow-who-said-to-her-husband-claus-on-their-honeymoon-stop/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) > [Remember, sex is like a Chinese dinner. It ain't over 'til you both get your cookie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/remember-sex-is-like-a-chinese-dinner-it-ain-t-over-til-you-both-get/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I'm not a person who would get up at 5 A.M. to write, but I could sacrifice my Friday night and just order in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/i-m-not-a-person-who-would-get-up-at-5-a-m-to-write-but-i-could/) [Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/) > [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [I like to be bought flowers and taken out for dinner. I like a man to be a gentleman. I don't like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-like-to-be-bought-flowers-and-taken-out-for-dinner-i-like-a-man-to/) [Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/) > [Why should the Marquis de Cussy wage war on soup? I cannot understand a dinner without it. I hold soup to be the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoine-careme/why-should-the-marquis-de-cussy-wage-war-on-soup-i-cannot-understand/) [Marie-Antoine Careme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoine-careme/) > [Helvetica is the jeans, and Univers the dinner jacket. Helvetica is here to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-frutiger/helvetica-is-the-jeans-and-univers-the-dinner-jacket-helvetica-is/) [Adrian Frutiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-frutiger/) [Browse all 2,901 Dinner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody has heard that family dinner is great for kids. 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