I'm sort of wondering how old you are approximately. If you are 18 years old or younger I can certainly understand your host mother expecting you to lead a structured life. Even over 18, many families around the world expect family members that live together to eat at least most meals together. I grew up having to eat family meals together. It was mandatory. If I had ever had kids I would have demanded that, too. It's a good thing. You are having a host family experience. If you don't like it, you should have found a study experience that allowed you to stay in a dorm/hostel or hotel, or just rent a room in someone's house. I'm sorry if what I wrote sounds harsh. Understand that social and family customs are different around the world. It's my assumption that your time in Ecuador is to learn about those, too.

Try to keep your mind on all of the wonderful things in Ecuador. My