The Amish are known for their strong family values, dedication to hard work, and for their ability to produce high-quality furniture. The men work in the fields or the workshop all day. The women perform the household work and look after the children. The kids study their lessons and learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. And at the end of every day, the families gather around their dining tables to spend quality time together, share their day's experiences, and to discuss their plans for tomorrow. It is at the dinner table that the family unit functions as a whole and the family bond strengthens.

The majority of us, however, do not live like the Amish. Life is busy and hectic and families spend most of their time spread thinly amongst various activities. While the adults spend their days working in various "fields" and the children's days are spent in the classrooms, actually getting a family together for an evening meal can prove to be very difficult. Dad has a late-night meeting. Mom has PTA. Little Bobby has football practice and Sweet Suzy has dance lessons. With such busy lives, family dinners are usually reserved for holidays and special occasions and are rarely considered the norm. This is a shame because the family who eats together, grows together.

Perhaps just the right Amish dining room furniture can help to encourage families to come together at mealtime more often. It may sound crazy and materialistic, but an attractive and high-quality piece of Amish furniture, large enough for the entire family to gather around, can make dinner less of a necessity and more of an event. Children can talk freely about their days at school, keeping mom and dad abreast of what is going on their lives. (This can be especially important during the teen years.) Mom and dad can involve the kids in vacation planning, scheduling chores and other tasks, and in keeping everyone informed of breaking family news. Think of it as an informal family meeting.

No one said that dinner had to be made from scratch, taking hours to prepare. Macaroni and cheese dinner or delivery pizza can be just as easily enjoyed together as a family as can a dinner of spaghetti with homemade sauce and meatballs. This is about the quality of the furniture and the time spent with family, not necessarily the quality of the food being served. It has been said that children will not remember how the meal was prepared, but will remember with whom they spent the meal.

Dining tables are not just for mealtime anymore. They can be a central gathering place for activities such as puzzles and games, baking cookies and treats, and hosting friends. Round dining room tables are perfect for seating the entire family around a game of Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit. The long rectangular tables are well suited for rolling out cookies or assembling gingerbread houses. These activities themselves can promote quality family time, but having a large and functional area in which to gather can help encourage that family time more often. What better place to make family memories than around the dining room table?

Amish dining room furniture is an heirloom to be passed down from parents to children to grandchildren. Most furniture on the market today is not made to last multiple generations. Much of the modern furniture is made of cheap laminates and veneers. It is not made to withstand the wear and tear doled out by families on a daily basis. Laminates become discolored or stained. The veneers peel at the first contact with water (or milk, or soda, or any other liquid). The glue securing the legs of dad's armchair weakens until dad is sitting in a rocking chair. No one should allow poorly crafted furniture ruin or discourage a good family dinner and the quality family time that goes with it.

Parents who pass Amish dining room furniture along to their children and grandchildren are not just passing material possessions or simply tables and chairs. They are also passing all of the memories that go with them. While many of the memories will be of the meals enjoyed or the games played at the table, many of these memories will be of the gift-givers themselves. The furniture will be a pleasant reminder of the parents or grandparents from whom the heirlooms came and all of the wonderful experiences had with those people - not just the ones created around the table.

Amish dining tables come in many sizes to fit any family and the extended family. Imagine a holiday feast where all family members are seated at one table - where there is no such thing as a kid's table. One can purchase a dining room table ranging in size from 36 inches up to 19 feet. Many tables are expandable with extra leafs so that they are the perfect for both daily meals as well as special occasions with lots of guests. Round dining room tables are also available in sizes up to 54 inches. They also come in drop-leaf styles and can be expanded into oval tables with the addition of a leaf or two.

It's not necessary to be Amish to enjoy and respect the values for which they are known. Much emphasis is put on quality. This quality can be seen in the furniture they produce as well as the time they spend as a family. Anyone can bring some of this distinction home with finely crafted Amish furniture. Family time is important and what kids learn now will be passed down for generations to come. There is no better place for them to learn than around the dining room table. That memory made of wood, also known as a table, should be one worth handing down.