Family Dinner

As President Reagan neared the end of his farewell address he offered today’s youth “. . . lesson No. 1 about America. All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven’t been teaching you what it means to be an American, let them know. . . .”

As I listened to this instruction, the thought occurred to me that the President was not in tune with the American family today. His view of the entire family gathering night at the dinner table is more consistent with the Ozzie and Harriet era than the day of microwaves and fast food. I thought that it would be interesting to inquire into family dinner practices by asking my high school American history students. I teach 16 and 17 year olds in the middle-class community of West Covina.

The day after the address I asked the 121 students who came to class to tell me if they ate dinner with their parents on a regular basis. Even I was surprised when only 33 indicated that they ate as a family. If you eliminate the 11 who ate in a family environment from my 22 advanced placement students, the figures are even more striking. Of the 99 students present in my four average classes, only 22 indicated a regular family dinner experience.

I agree with Reagan’s belief that “we’ve got to teach history based not on what’s in fashion but what’s important.” If we forget what we did we won’t know who we are.” But if the President believes that the evening meal will provide the setting for the transfer of the “American memory” to today’s youth he is sadly mistaken. That important responsibility appears to be left to the public school teachers of American history.

NORMAN SILVEY

Pomona