My Year of 100 Family Dinners Week 45: Thanksgiving Week Dinner Count: 114–119

Allison Lloyd
3 days ago
3 min read

Home Was the Plan

We were home. Home every day.

Thanksgiving break stretched long this year, and instead of traveling or packing our days full, we made a very intentional choice to stay put. We started a medication change for my son on the very first day off from school, and that alone shaped the entire week.

With medication changes comes uncertainty. Stress management became the priority. So we stayed close. Really close. We watched TV. We read. We ate together. We rested.

My son didn’t stray far from me all week, and honestly, neither did I from him. There were lots of moments but no seizures. And that felt like a huge win.

A Quiet Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving itself was simple and meaningful.

I cooked a traditional meal and invited our “adopted grandpa” to join us. We watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while the turkey grilled outside. It was just the four of us at the table; quiet, calm, and steady.

And yet, even in the calm, I found myself worrying.Was this enough?Should we be doing more?

This is my son’s last Thanksgiving before turning 18 and graduating. It feels like the last holiday where he is obligated to be here. That realization hit me harder than I expected.

What I really want isn’t obligation.I want connection.I want a child who chooses to come home.

Six Dinners and the Same Question

We had six meals together this week.

And every single time, my son asked the same question:“Why are we sitting down together?”

Every single time, I answered the same way:“Because I love you, and I want to spend time with you.”

He grumbled. I made him put his phone away.Sometimes I had to pull out trivia books because my conversation creativity was gone. And sometimes? That trivia sparked laughter, debate, and storytelling.

Most nights, once he was engaged, he softened.He forgot that he didn’t want to sit down.He forgot that he was annoyed.

And that tells me everything I need to know.

Leftovers, Routine, and Belonging

Thanksgiving leftovers carried us through the week. Same food. Same table. Over and over again.

One night, my kids invited a friend to join us, an 18-year-old who had graduated early and was clearly craving something steady. She sat at our table, ate with us, talked, laughed, and lingered.

She was looking for connection.And she knew she could find it here.

That mattered more to me than any big holiday plan ever could.

Why This Matters (And the Research Backs It Up)

Research consistently shows that regular family meals are linked to:

Increased feelings of belonging and safety
Better long-term parent–child relationships, especially during college transitions

Studies also suggest that teens who maintain predictable, meaningful family rituals, like dinner, are more likely to stay emotionally connected when they leave for college and more likely to return home willingly during breaks.

Family dinners aren’t about the food.They’re about sending a message:You belong here. You matter. We will make space for you.