Mumsnet Talk

Since my son is only 3.8 it's not really hard for us to do, except when my husband or I need to be working during dinner time, which is actually, at the moment, rare.

But we do all eat together 7 days a week without too much effort other than the actual cooking.

I would imagine once my son starts 'real' school and starts to have after school activities and/or friends 'round or what have you it will take more of an effort. I do think it is a very important thing to do so the family can share about their day. To get my son talking we ask 'what was your favourite part of today' and 'what was your least favourite part of today' of each person at the table.

my children are still young (3.5 years and 8 months), but I always eat with them - and 5 days a week, DH eats with us too. We try to chat about the day with DS, but currently it's more of a containment exercise, as DD is doing baby led smearing, and can be messy.

we don't try to make mealtimes fun - they are just part of the day. At weekends, DS helps me make a cake or pudding, and enjoys that, plus it's a good incentive for him to eat his meal before he can have dessert!

We have a 2.9 year old and a 6 month old and we eat together every night - except at weekends if we decide to treat ourselves to a take away.

We always chat about our day, but we also always have some music on in the background. We usually end up chair dancing and quite often the baby is dragged into playing air guitar. For some reason his sister chooses to play 'air violin.'

We have a nearly five year old and a nearly one year old. I find it difficult to get all four of us to sit down to eat together as my husband works different days every week and different shifts every day, and largely doesn't get home until after 8. We eat together whenever we can though, and I sit down with the boys for a snack while they have their tea, which probably isn't good for my waistline, but it does mean we get to have a good teatime chat etc. I tend to have my dinner with DH whatever time he gets home else he won't eat anything himself. Ideally we'd all eat together, but currently it just isn't feasible.

To make trips to the supermarket more fun I used to do a picture shopping list of 5-10 items especially for DS1. Now I either give him a written list or test his memory by giving him five things to remember. He loves it, and it makes him feel part of the household. We make meals fun by talking about our day rather than watching tv. It's amazing what he remembers about his day at school over a plate of fish fingers and peas!

As I commute to/from London every day, I often don't get home until close to 7pm. As a result of this, DD gets dinner with her carer and myself and DP eat separately. We always make sure that we have a family meal on Saturdays and Sundays though.

I do think its important to eat as a family but it really is too late for DD to be eating by the time we get home.

We eat together in the early evening whenever we can. That means dc and I 4 days a week and dh will join us on about 2 evening and weekends.

It's a time for general chatting.
With a 3 yr old and a 6 yr old random questions will appear out of nowhere : 'Why don't dragons have willies?/What would happen if all the sea water evapourated?'

I like to discuss the day if i can get a word in and remind dc of things they need to do or things that we're going to do later in the week.

I have quiet music on in the background always so I can listen to something nice when that lovely 'let's eat' silence kicks in and the children are quite for 4 mins.

DS has a hot school lunch, and food at after school club, so we don't eat formally as a family in the evening. But we do all sit down with a cuppa for a chat while ds has his snack.

At the weekend, we all eat together for all meals, and ds enjoys choosing the food for dinner when we are out shopping. He likes to browse the fish and deli counter, which can result in suprising choices - the only rule is that he chooses it he has to eat (at least some of) it.

My DH doesn't come home until after the DC are in bed.
So we only eat together on Sats and Suns and I don't eat supper with them except when it's fishfingers when I put an extra couple in for me...

I do spend a lot of time saying EAT up.
<yawn>

This has changed significantly for us over the years

I have always felt that it is valuable for us all to sit to eat together where possible but due to work patterns we are unable to eat together until 7.30 - 8pm

When the children were preschoolers they would eat earlier and sit with us while we ate. It was a great opportunity to introduce new foods as food off parents plates is far more appealing. Unfortunately they were virtually half asleep. When they started school they had a cooked meal at lunchtime so they ate a lighter meal at about 6pm and stayed up to say hello to Dad. We then ate after they were in bed.

As soon as they were old enough to wait we were able to eat together which was a fabulous opportunity to catch up on the day.

Just having the meal together is fun. It's great watching our one year old learn to eat and try new things, he's always funny and we encourage him to join in the conversation, because that's what I remember as a child - that chance to get your parents' undivided attention and talk to them about all sorts of things. Ds doesn't have many recognisable words yet, but he's definitely joining in the conversation and that's fun for all 3 of us

In our house to my tea time successful the number one item is being organised, knowing in advance (where possible) what to make, and getting tea on the table just before they get too hungry. If I miss the mark sometimes they can get a little grumpy so I always aim for about 4.40pm. I also let it cool before I give to them so they don't get too impatient waiting for it too cool. Sometimes when they are really tired and just can't face eating we play little games, by pretending the bird outside is going to eat the dinner, then they quickly eat it! I'd say, stay relaxed and calm and then hopefully the kids will to!

DD is 2 and if I'm not working we eat all our meals together. If DH is home in time he eats dinner with us too. Unfortunately eating lunch and dinner early means DH and I have turned into terrible evening snackers after DD has gone to bed. It's important to me that we eat together as DD is very reluctant to taste anything new until she's seen me eat it about 20 times!

We love to have dinner together and as my DS is under 2 this usually means I need to have food on the table quite soon after DH gets home from work. To make the timings work, I try to prep/make as much as I can of dinner in my DS's nap and then pull together at the last minute or in winter use the almighty slow cooker, so it's all nice and ready come 6pm! DS will always eat better when we eat as a family as he likes to steal food from our plates and thinks he is very clever stealing that carrot or broccoli from our plate and eating it all up!

My dc are 8 (almost 9) and 6, we always eat together every night. We're lucky that dh has always had a job where he gets home in time for us to eat early enough for the dc. Eating round the table in the kitchen is just more practical for us, washable floor is a must, I can't imagine the state the living room carpet would be in if we ate in there! When the dc were small we had the kind of high chair that pulls right up to the table so they've never known any different.

We all enjoy the opportunity to chat, we have music on and are quite relaxed about the whole thing. I loved it when dd1 was a toddler and started sharing anecdotes from nursery at the tea table (I remember well the saga of Eddy The Baby standing on the garage and getting in trouble) Dh and I have always been interested in what they have to say so I think they've always felt included and happy to share the news of their day.

I'm a single parent to an only child so I think it would be quite weird if we didn't eat together! The only times we don't are when I work later and DS is looked after by his dad, at my house, so gives him leftovers from the freezer.
I prefer eating earlier with DS so that we get all the cooking/clearing up done before he goes to bed, then I have the evening to myself.

I'm not sure if I have any tips about how to make it successful - I cook food, we sit down and eat it! I do think it's important to sit at the table and talk to each other while we eat. We have really nice chats over dinner. We sometimes have the radio on, which can initiate conversation too. DS (5) usually sets the table and helps clear up afterwards and I think this is really important to get him involved in the daily chores (although he does moan about it!)

We have a young school age girl, a toddler and a baby. Most evenings we all sit down for our evening meal as its the only time of day were all together.

We have the radio on low in the background. It adds a bit of atmosphere somehow. If its a special meal we light a couple of candles, which the kids love.

The most popular meals in our house are help yourself ones. So things like fajitas with nachos and chicken wings. Pizza, salad and chips. Some sort of platter to pick from. Kids love these and if we have anyone over for tea we always do a meal like this. Much more relaxed and social and enjoyable.

Always try to do healthy foods obviously, but if its unhealthy-like pizza, there's always a bowl of salad.

And at the weekends my dh and I have a late meal together once the kids are in ed. but we still sit down and have a light snack with the kids when they have their tea. To us, it's a very important time of day for us all to chat, discuss and share things. Also we all love food. All different types. So we enjoy sitting down and enjoying nice food. All very relaxed and enjoyable.

DH works until 11pm through the week so he only joins us at weekends, but me and the kids have great fun at tea times.

We stick on some music and all dance around the kitchen and the kids all help out with setting the table and getting tea ready. Its probably my favourite time of day because its all so relaxed.

We then sit down to eat and everyone chats about their day and plans for the next day, the table is the place for them asking the questions that have been bugging them through the day (no dd your thumb won't disappear like a lollipop if you suck it, no ds the world didn't crack because a squirrel fell to the centre of the earth and ran on a little marble, no dd an elephant and a lizard can't make a baby so don't worry).

Afterwards we blast out some music and get the dishes done (while singing into utensil microphones) and get cleared up before bed.

I think its very important to us as a family, because I have 4 children aged from 2 to 11 they tend to be off doing their own things after school so its a real family time where we are all in the same place doing the same thing.

It's MUCH easier now that they're teens and go to bed later. We eat together every evening now, generally between 6.30 and 7.30 depending on what activities they have on.

The dcs take it in turn to cook (heat up in ds' case ) once a week as well (they choose what we eat) and we try to make at least one meal a week something that we wouldn't ordinarily do - eat with chopsticks, try sushi, eat something really spicey etc to try and broaden our range.

We eat in the kitchen too - this tends to be more relaxed than sitting round the dining table formally, although we do that once a week of when we have friends over (kids eat with us when we have friends over as well - they not excluded from the meal, although we'll excuse them early when they've finished as we want to sit around drinking wine).

what i find hard is having two fussy eaters and limited time to feed them as we have so many after school activities to go to and do homework. so food has to be cooked and ready within 30mins or less for us. at 4 and 8 my children have firm opinions on what they like so its roasts at the weekend when i have more time and help from dh to make a big dinner and during the week we do freezer meals or simple dinners like spaghetti and garlic bread for quickness otherwise i'd be late and children would have get a naughty dinner from chip shop. i like the holidays when i can be more adventurous with trying new recipes and get children to help. as i have more time and patience.

We try to eat together but dh not always back by teatime but I always eat with the kids if possible.

Dd (3 yrs) is a joy at eating but ds (6 yrs)is very fussy
so I must admit I do find teatime rather stressful as ds will eat virtually nothing considered dinner type food. Getting any vegetable into him is virtually impossible.

I do think eating at the table is very important and this is why we try to keep it a part of our routine.

DH gets home from work at a reasonable time, so we do all eat together. Both of the boys have SN and can't be left alone together and nor can they wander around the kitchen, so I plan meals which take no more than about 40 minutes in the kitchen, once DH is home - so either fast or slow cooking is required.

Mealtimes are far from idyllic, though. DS1 gets very anxious and will often start asking the same obsessive questions, each mealtime. We do manage to have some constructive conversation, too, though and it can be a time when he will tell us about new things that are bothering him and we can try to work out plans to alleviate his difficulties. For most of the rest of the day, he is too busy with Other Stuff for that to happen.

I think it is very important for a family to eat together. It helps to get some quality family time together.
We all have our evening meal together. Its a great time as the children share in setting the table and clearing it so it gives them some responsiblity. It is also great fun for them (at least they think it is )
We also have special table trimmings for special occasions which the children look forward to.
It is also a chance for us to chat about our day and share a homecooked meal.
We love our meal times together.

DS is 2.6yo and DD is 10 days old, but we have always tried to eat together most evenings of the week. We eat all of our meals at the table and I try to prep as much as I can the night before or during naptime. The slow cooker is used A LOT. I find DS eats a lot better if we are eating together and he sees us eating different things. He wants to try everything, but we don't comment on what he does and doesn't eat. Recently he's not been keen on broccoli but I've not been commenting on it and just carry on putting it on his plate, then last night he couldn't get enough of it!

when we are all at home we eat together and have a good chat - it's nice to all be in the same place and to share meal times. Always we say 'thanks for cooking' to whoever made the meal, and there's no rules like finish all your dinner/eat this before pudding etc - just relaxed and fine really. Whoever is in the house will sit at the dining table to eat - we dont have telly anyway, and the radio is off during mealtimes - also no phones, toys, books at table - just a chance to be together and connect in a very ordinary and everyday way.

It's really difficult on weekdays actually. DH and I both work full time. The kids (2 and 4) have tea at the childcarer and we all get home together at about 6pm. Bedtime is 7pm so we focus on making that hour quality time together - although it doesn't involve a meal it is proper family time with stories and talking all about our days.

On weekends we have a proper meal together, usually Sunday roast. The kids love it! DD helps me get napkins and candles for the table, and they serve themselves peas and roast potatoes. They decided that we each have our own candle, and as each person finishes their lunch they are allowed to put the candle out with the snuffer. Very weird! But I suppose that's how family traditions get started...

I do believe it is important to eat together, as i think this is a useful time to learn manners, talk together, and is something that most people will need to be able to do later in life. I have been with people who have felt this whole process of eating, sharing a meal quite threatening, so i believe that starting with children on how to eat, set a table, talk, forms the basis for this and is a social skill that is needed. However we are able to eat all together mainly at weekends, but if i need to feed my daughter on a school night, she eats earlier, then i will eat a token amount with her so that we share the mean. I find that the meals we enjoy the most is when we tells stories, play verbal games and generally itneract with each other.
One of the "problems" with us all sharing teatime is that my duaghter eats at 12.00 at school so is starving by 5.00 and needs to eat her meal then. My husband is only home around 7.00 so on weekdays this is not possible. However they share breakfasts together, and on weekends and holidays when this is more flexible we do it.

I dont have a teenager so can't comment on that aspect.

Very interesting to read other posters' answers on this thread...

We never have dinner together during the week. My dcs are 7, 5 and 2.5, and both dh and I work in the sort of full time jobs that mean it is a massive (and I mean massive ) achievement if I can get home 5 minutes before the 2 younger dcs 7pm bedtime 2 or 3 nights a week. Dh is never home for bedtime, and rarely gets in before 9pm.

School day breakfasts are fairly sociable: I tend not to be around (last minute makeup time) but dh aims to hang out with the children until they have finished their cereal and toast, at which point he runs out of the front door. Midweek dinners for the children are mostly pre-cooked by me, heated up by the aupair and the 3 of them eat together with her lending a hand. We still apply the 'rules' (proper table manners and conversation (and no tv!)) even if we're not home.

Most days dh and I eat together around 9.30/10pm. Eating so late isn't ideal, but it is the only time we get together, so is very important.

Weekends are entirely different. Breakfast and lunch are full-on family affairs, often with many additional friends and family at the table, and tea-time, likewise is very sociable. Neither dh nor I can eat dinner at 5.30pm, but we all prepare the food together with the dcs, and then will sit at the table with a cup of tea and chat with them (and pick at their food!) whilst they are eating. So we are very sociable, even if we don't eat together.

Tea time is the best part of the day, when we all sit together as a family to discuss our days. However there has been dramas over the years when the children turn their nose up to my meal choices but god bless tomato sauce. My children even eat their vegetables!

Eating together is hugely important for us as a family. When it was just myself and OH we used to eat off our laps whilst watching the TV (we had the odd accident with gravy dribbling onto our knees) - since we've welcomed baby Dexter into our lives, we now eat together at the dining table with the TV off.

Dex has a highchair that is height adjustable and swivels so both of us take turns feeding him throughout the meal. This gives us both a chance to eat our own dinner!

We use the time to talk about our day and try to talk to Dex as much as possible so he feels included. The effect of this has been that Dexter will eat ANYTHING on his plate. He tries everything and loves his greens. I think it's because he sees that we're eating the same as him so we're not conning him with things we wouldn't eat ourselves ;-)

As soon as he's able, we'll get him to help clear away and wash up. It's important he learns the value of helping around the home. We'll reward him with stickers and let him stay up an extra 15 minutes before bed as an incentive. I literally can't wait as it always seems to be me chipping my nails in the washing up bowl!

Oh, just to add: at weekends I expect the children to set the table for all meals, and help with the clearing up afterwards (there's no time on school days).

And both during the week and at weekends, basic etiquette is a given: please and thank you for anything they are served or request, "please may I leave the table, thank you for a lovely meal" at the end, and so on.

We try to eat together as often as possible, but as DH works with a long commute 2 weeks out of every 4, half the time I will wait and eat with him.

That said, I always sit with the boys whilst they're eating and chat about our days, future plans, etc...though at the moment a lot of it is trying to get DS1 to actually eat instead of talk/daydream!

Once a month or so as a treat we will do a "movie night" on a Saturday where we will sit on the sofa and eat pizza with a film. This is kept as a treat and a novelty.

Both mine are young (4 and 1) but I'd like to keep this for as long as possible. In my late primary/secondary school years I usually ate alone as my mum was working a couple of hour's drive away, so I used to sit at the table and read whilst I ate.

My 2 year old and I eat all our meals together, and daddy as well on the weekends. We try to include foods that all three of us like, so we can 'share' with each other (our son LOVES to feed us). It's a great way to introduce concepts like saying thank you when served, or wiping his face with a napkin in a laid back manner.

We try and eat altogether as much as possible, but it isn't always possible. Sometimes my husband's late in from work, and sometimes one or both the girls are doing various activities. I tend to make tea for 5pm nowadays as if I leave it later, the girls are just constantly pestering for snacks! We're usually altogether at weekends though, and I agree that this is when conversation often flows easiest - when everyone is sat together with no distractions.

Mine are almost 4 and 2yo. We have always, right from the first purée, had dinner together at 6. We've been lucky that dh has always worked fairly close to home so he's always been home in time for tea.
I've also always given them the same food as us, partly because I'm lazy and partly because I want them to have a varied diet.

This is their version of normal an they don't really know any other way. Once they start school they might have other ideas but my laziness resistance to cooking twice a night should keep us all eating together until they're old enough to be out doing clubs without me.

Eating together during the week is really difficult for us as a family as DS3 who is 6 attends an after school club three days a week and eats there so generally just has a light snack such as a yoghurt or a piece of fruit when he gets home.

DS2 is 16 and is in a permanent state of greed hunger and literally wants feeding as soon as he walks in the door from school. He normally ends up having his dinner at about 4.00pm then having a small portion of whatever I make for DP and I later at about 7.30pm. Although, again this is difficult as I have ulcerative colitis so can only eat small amounts of certain foods.

We do make an effort to eat together on Sundays though. I always make a big cooked breakfast and everyone piles in and then later DP will make a roast dinner which everyone enjoys.

Eating together as a family was much simpler when DS1, now 19 and DS2 were younger as we had routine mealtimes and both happily ate whatever was placed in front of them. DS1 has left home now and there's a ten year age gap between DS2 and DS3 and they both have very different commitments/out of school clubs/friends to see so getting them around the table together is difficult and it's a shame really as getting together with lovely food is a real joy.

However, making an effort on Sundays to share a couple of mealtimes gives us a chance to catch up and re-group as a family which is important.

We have always had teatime together as a family from the moment each child started weaning. It has occasionally been tricky but I would just adjust snack times, naptimes, bedtimes accordingly to make it work - so when hubby had a longer commute we used to have a later tea, but now he gets home promptly, we can all eat together at 5pm so it works well for the kids too.

That way it makes it a lot easier for food as we can all eat the same thing. And I am doing baby led weaning with my youngest - so it is perfect for that too. None of mine are fussy eaters and i am sure it is because they have watched us eat all different foods and have been exposed to eating lots of different foods themselves as part of our mealtimes together.

We always sit at the table for meals. I hope that the kids will grow up to treasure the memories of our mealtimes together.

We have made some adjustments for my autistic son - he needs a 'move n sit' cushion and special cutlery, but with these things he can be part of our mealtimes together.

My top tip would be to make mealtimes fun and relaxed - a time to focus on spending time with each other and enjoying each others company, so don't get stressed or worried about how much kids eat or if they refuse the food they don't like. Hopefully in time they'll be happy to eat most things and enjoy having mealtimes together.

Once they have finished, i do let them excuse themselves from the table and get down because otherwise it can be boring for them to wait for everyone to finish - so that it doesn't become a negative experience for them.

Forgot to say, we also have 'theme days' for trying different foods eg mexican tortillas, italian pizza, Indian curry, Chinese new year - chinese foods. That way you can combine a fun activity like a related craft in the day (like making flags, hats, props etc) or a cookery activity where they help prepare the food eg pizza making, with your theme and that makes it more fun to come together at mealtimes to enjoy it together. x

Like most of the other posters, we make a concerted effort to eat together. DH is sometimes home late for work but I will eat with the kids which is a pity for him s he gets reheated leftovers alone when he gets back! I am the only vegetarian in the family so do sometimes eat different things but the children don't comment as this is how it's always been.

As DD is only 2.7, I do sometimes have to bribe her with singing nursery rhymes and made up songs round the table to ensure that she stays seated!

DH and I often both work from home which makes it easy for us to eat as a family. We are very traditional - sit up at kitchen table, no TV, though we do sometimes have music. Except on Fridays when it's home made pizzas in front of a film. Teatime is a favourite time of day for me, as I finally get to wheedle out of DC what they've done all day, and they and DH are very good at bantering so I normally sit and giggle quite a lot at them all. Gets a bit excitable quite often. DC's table manners aren't all they might be, though they are improving. The cat usually tries to join us, sitting up at a vacant chair with a very expectant look on his face.

DH and I are getting increasingly bored of the family favourites repertoire, (DC would eat spag bol/lasagne/shepherd's pie nearly every night if they could) though and keep trying to introduce new food. Usually it's a hit with one DS but not the other.

DS2 has made it his job to clear the plates, and DS 1 gets drinks for people when he can remember. I cook and DH washes up. We never eat fast food and very rarely have takeaways, couple of times a year, but we do eat fish fingers or oven baked battered fish and chips when we're busy/I'm too knackered to cook. About once a fortnight.

We have a 3year old boy, and every teatime we sit at the table together, and eat our meals. We will just sit and talk about what we have done that day, eg what my son did at nursery, how my partners day at work has been. Its just a nice, relaxed time, where we enjoy our food and family time together. My son is very independent, so depending on what we are having, I will put the food in bowls on the table for us to serve ourselves and put it on our plates, and my son enjoys doing this, even though he sometimes makes a mess

We eat at around 7.00 - 7.30 p.m. as that is how long it takes us to get home and make food. DD (3) "Helps" in the kitchen and we always sit at the table to eat except on pizza-nights. Because it's a late meal she has a snack at around 4-5 in the afternoon to tide her over.

DD has sat at the table with us since birth, as the family believe it is important to eat together at a table.

We don't have rules and we don't alter recipes to suit fussiness. We just keep things calm and unhurried, and try and use the time to share what we've done that day. My only tip would be to ensure that the child feels involved in the meal, either choosing the menu or helping to cook it.

When our dc were very little it was easy to have family meals, but as they get older and have various after-school/evening activities, it has got harder to achieve. So we don't fret about it. Weekends we always eat together. Weekday nights we will sometimes eat together, sometimes in shifts. But Friday nights are always a leisurely roast dinner, which the dc in particular look forward to.

I think it's a mistake to always try to eat as a family. Patents need couple-time, and dc need the opportunity to enjoy a meal without "elbows off the table", "eat with your mouth shut", "cutlery!" etc.

Two things that I read in a baby book or magazine early on which have saved my sanity quite often:
1. If they won't eat the veg, don't worry, provide fruit with the meal instead, it's just as good apparently, if a bit strange.

2. Don't stress about what they have eaten on any specific day, look at what they have eaten over a week or a month (and also of course, how they are growing etc.) Basically don't focus on the food too much is what it was saying!

This is all easier when they get a bit older anyway, I try to plan meals a bit but not too much - give them some choice 'what shall we have tonight?' within reason. Sometimes it's leftover picnic tea, i.e. everything from the fridge on little plates, help youself, alongside something substantial.

I was always forced to clear my plate even if I was full/it was a food I didn't like (1970's and 80's, sometimes I was sat at the table for hours) so that's something I have never done with my children (amongst many other things), I want to keep it light and pleasant as much as possible, seems obvious that it's better for everyone.

I am a stay at home mum with a 10 month old. WeI think that it is very important to eat together at meal times and try to eat with him whenever he has a propper meal. He is a little sponge at the moment watching and absorbing everything i do and as such i think he needs to be shown a good example of how to eat and interact at the dinner table. He is allowed to explore his food though and we talk to him/each other as we eat.

My little one needs an afternoon snack to keep going but as long as i have tea nearly done by the time my OH gets home then he can normally wait and eat with us. He gets so excited to see his daddy that i think this helps him to eat. If my husband works late though we often eat without him as little one seems to go past his hunger and then not want to eat. Im sure waiting will get harder aswel once he gets older.

We eat together at weekends. Our son can be fussy with foo, but we've found that telling him what to expect for dinner makes all the difference.
Sitting down to eat as a family is important, it's a special time to share our day/weeks happenings with each other.

I have 2 children, a son aged 5 and a 5 month old baby girl.

Right from the start, both of mine have sat with us at teatime, next to the table in their bouncy chairs. As my husband works nights and my son is now at school it is the only time of day we can all be together and talk about our day/discuss problems etc.

I have always given everyone the same, home cooked food, apart from a takraways every sat, and if it isn't eaten then dessert is not an option. I believe children are more likely to eat food if they see mummy and daddy doing it. We turn the tv off and just enjoy each others company.

Soon, my daughter will be starting on solids, so she will be sitting at the table too in her high chair and trying everything we eat.

I do all this based on my own childhood experiences of meal times, which were full of laughter, and would often last over an hour. By contrast, my husband used to eat alone in the kitchen as a child, whilst his mum, step-dad and half sister ate together in the living room in front of the tv. I would NEVER put my kids through that!

we have 4 DC and have always eaten our meals together at the table. I was brought up like that so have felt it the mormal thing to do. I know several people who eat separately to their children and think it must make it more awkward to prepare 2 lots of meals!

I think if it was suddenly forced upon children, it would behard but if they've grown up with it then it's normal and just accepted. DD2 who is only 5 months, doesn't eat but still sits at table with us!

Main rule at meal time though is no TV/phone/gadgets/toys (DH is the worst culprit for breaking that rule!)

DC are 4 & 5 and have very different tastes. DS1 will try anything once but isn't sure about spices. DS2 is wary of anything green but adores curry! Despite both mine and DHs shifts we try to sit down with the boys to eat most days as its important to chat over a meal and encourage conversation

We have one DS (nearly 4) and we always eat our evening meal all together at about 5:45. Luckily DS is a fab eater so we never need to resort to bribes or anything. As others have said, we often ask each other what our favourite/worst part of the day was to reinforce the idea that mealtimes are for reconnecting with each other. Also we started eating in the dining room rather than the kitchen and that's made for more quality time because there's no temptation for anyone to get up and start pottering tidying or reading the post while waiting for others to finish (this happened in the kitchen).

It's important for us to eat (the same thing) together as a family, DS is only 14months..but DH works shifts so isn't home every evening.
It's important for DS to have the level of interaction with his food & us at the same time, and as a couple it's the time we use to talk about things before settling in for the night.

I never had meals around the table as a child & DH was a latchkey kid so being there together to eat & discuss the day as a family is something we're keen to do as DS grows up.

No phones/gadgets & no swearing at the table (last one in general!) are our rules.

This more challenging for me as i have teenagers! I ensure we all sit at the table and I don't mind if we watch a quiz or something whilst we chat, its ok to have some tv in the background. Teens find it easier to talk then. I try and cook something different each day and try new recipes to keep their diet varied.

We eat together as a family most nights and in the day I eat with DS3. At the moment it is fairly simple as DH is home by 5.30pm which is tea time and that suits everyone.

I do think it is important to eat together but sometimes 'life happens'. Tonight is Beavers which means DH eats with DS2 and DS3 and I eat with DS1 when we come home. Otherwise it would be too late for DS2 and DS3 to go to bed. Currently the boys are 6,4, and 2 and this is the only 'club' we do however I can imagine it will get more complicated as the boys go to more clubs.

Eating together is easier for me as I only have to prepare one meal and clear the table once. It also means that we can monitor and model table manners and encourage a wide variety of tastes. It is also important to develop conversation skills and as the boys get older give them an opportunity to share important parts of the day.

We don't make any effort to make meal times 'fun'.

Whys it needing to be such an issue. You cook food and serve if? Sometimes together sometimes seperately.

We always eat together - it's easier for me as I only cook and clear up once and it's better for the family as we all sit together and talk together. It's a chance for the kids to voice their ideas and opinions and for us to discuss issues together. We all eat the same thing and I make sure that everyone gets one of their favourite meals at some point during the week. I can monitor table manners which is something I'm keen on.

i posted this one in the boots one - but its as appripriate here

to help children with eating and diet - involve them in shopping and cooking.

think about your expectations at the table. I often think a lot of people ( not just parents) expect a lot from small children at meal times. I think meal times should be fun, a time for talking and laughter, not stict rules. of course there are good manners - which is quite different.

A the table we had a routine of each asking someone at the talbe " what did you do today?" i think children are inatley self centred, so this is a good excersise in teaching them to listen to other people and feel for other people too. so i wouldnt be fussed about whether the fork was held in left hand but would if they were texting

I think it's really easy to build up more and more rules around eating and eating together - I've been guilty of that sometimes. It's a golden opportunity to nudge my dc towards better manners, but if I'm not careful, conversation degenerates to a series of 'don'ts' barked by me, interspersed with attempts to prod the dc into talking about the day.

An invaluable tip I have that really works is to make statements, rather than ask questions, so 'I wonder if football club happened today' is quite likely to elicit a response, as opposed to 'Were you in goal?'

We have a 4 yo DD. She has school dinners, then tea when she gets home.

I cook for DP and myself's dinner after she has gone to bed which is 6pm so not really feasible for us all to eat together.

At weekends we eat all our meals together. Saturday's supper is generally something we make together eg pizzas and Sunday is a traditional roast.

We like to make it fun and enjoyable just by chatting or having fun candles or fun crockery etc.

Midweek DD enjoys helping to prepare her tea, arranging the food into a face or calling it by silly names or trying new recipes from children's cookbooks.

Inviting round Grandad or Uncle Joe who live nearby always makes it fun for my kids. We have sharing food like pizza, salad and garlic bread. For the kids having extra people makes it feel special and like a tea party.

We eat together every evening, always have done. It's important for us to do this as a family. However now the girls are a bit older (4 and 2) they've really enjoyed having their friends round for tea, or going to someone else's house. They've eaten things there which they wouldn't eat at home, so a very positive experience.

We eat as a family at least 90% of the time. It's important for us to know how the kids day went, the highs the lows, and I personally like feedback on new recipes! It's also a good chance for us to recharge and have a laugh together. We don't do anything to make it fun but there is always one story from some one around the table which makes everyone laugh. It's important to me that we eat together as I worked long hours for many years, do now I don't work I make an effort to be together. It's not always easy with different aged kids and different schedules but we manage.

On a selfish note, nothing gives me more pleasure than everyone sat around living my food.

We used to find it difficult to eat together, as a family, when dh was commuting to work, and didn't get in until 7 or 7.30pm - far too late for their tea. Plus their normal tea time, 5pm, was too early for dh and I.

We did eat together at lunchtime, at the weekends, and enjoyed talking to the boys.

As they have got older, we have eaten together more, simply because they can now eat later, and dh has a much shorter commute. We don't allow phones or iPods at the table, so we have to talk and listen. We also make it fun by sometimes doing things like wraps, where the boys get to decide what they want in their wraps, from the choice available.

I also think encouraging children to cook makes them more likely to enjoy the food.

Dhaka gets home around 5.30 and we sit down together at 6. Ds has SN and used to have big issues around eating - in fact he ate nothing for years (tube fed) but would still sit with us while we ate. These days he tends to eat one meal a day in the evening so we do make an effort to have something nice together. Roasts are a particular favourite with ds; and ifnI day we are having leftovers he gets very excited!!

We used to eat together every day, but currently dp and I both work full time, often come home late, and are both on diets!
We now eat together Tues, Fri,Sat & Sun plus a meal out together once or twice a month.
Sunday is always a roast cooked by dp and the other meals we eat together are home cooked and delish so no need to make them "fun" really. Our dd is 13. We always eat at the table and the TV is never on except when I manage to occaisionally sneak a friday or saturday tv supper with dd which comes at the price of a big sulk by dp!!!

We eat together, at the table most of the time but our favourite mealtime is on a Sunday. I set up the card table and we have afternoon tea with cups and saucers, a cake stand piled high with various goodies, sandwiches, etc. In the winter we have a roaring fire and usually watch something like Blandings or one of the Famous Five DVD's. Very cosy - try it!

DS is 3 and DD is 3 months. We eat a meal together at the table every day. DH and I both feel that eating as a family is really important as a time to catch up on the day's events, practising conversation, taking turns speaking and teaching the DC table manners. DH has a long commute but he leaves the office on time to make it home for dinner and the DCs' bedtimes, carrying on working on his laptop at home after that if he needs to.

DS likes helping me in the kitchen and I try to involve him as much as possible at each stage of the food preparation: letting him choose the ingredients when we're shopping, asking him to get things from the fridge, helping him to mix, pour and measure ingredients or just sitting him up on the counter so he can watch me. DD is often quite restless in the evening so I put her in my baby carrier so I have my hands free.

I think it's really important to eat together as a family. It doesn't matter whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner provided everyone can sit down, eat and talk with each other ideally once a day. We try always to have at least one meal a day where we sit and eat together. Phones, tv and radio etc are always switched off when we're having a meal together. It's a great way to chat about any problems anyone has, how the children are feeling but also I think it helps with manners/behaviour.

since my children is very young, we let them leave the table once they finish their food. now both are 3 & 5, they wont listen to stay at the table till we all had finished food. any ideas how to prevent them from leaving the table till all finish?

I have 3 children aged 3, 6 and 9 and we all eat together (the 5 of us) about 5 nights a week. The others are either dc at grandma's if dh and I are both working or dc and me. I find it's a good time to sit and talk and listen to each other. We share our days and sometimes discuss family outings/ holidays etc.
However, it's not always happy chatting and laughter as it only takes 1 child to be tired or unhappy and dinner turns into a nightmare!
I feel it's an important time to be a family and great for teaching table manors and listening skills

I think it's important for families to eat together as much as possible and to sit at the dining table to do this. It means everyone can chat together and helps to teach children about table manners.

We started to eat together four nights a week (weekends and when I'm at home) and it has made such a difference to my daughter's eating habits, as she is now a lot less picky then when she ate just with her brother and will make a lot less fuss as there is less attention on her. It also means we only have to cook one meal on those days.

The nights when we don't eat together (when dh and I are both at work) work OK, and it is nice to eat just with dh, but it also means that we have to sort out two meals at two different times.

i serve my two boys there dinner and eat a snack with them as i KNOW i'll finish their leftovers, which means i dont eat double... this has helped me drop 4 dress sizes so i'd definatley recommend it

We have always sat at the table for main meals from the times the dcs were weaned. When they were little my DH worked until late, so we ate as a 4. Now they are all teens, we eat mainly together, depending on who is home and when. But we have sneaky 'pizza in front of the tv' Fri/Sat nights too now which feel like a treat!
Now they are older that evening meal time is where we share information, about the day, plans for the week, ideas and opinions. It's a light hearted time, phones are banned, but something that is just habit now in our house. And essential for communication.

I've always felt it's important to eat together, at the table (mostly), but it's only recently that it's been possible for us. For years my DH commuted to London so wasn't getting home until around 8 which meant I either ate with DD or waited and ate with him but we rarely had a meal together except at the weekend.

Now however, he has a more local job and is home by 5. It means we can eat together every night and I'm really glad - it's a chance to catch up and chat about each other's days. Mealtimes in the week are still more of a rush because of various evening commitments but it's more relaxed at the weekend when we tend to have meals that take a bit longer (to prepare and eat), often 'help yourself' stuff like Mexican which DD loves.

We do sometimes do pizza or something in front of the TV especially on a Friday when everyone just wants to flop but we're still eating together and that's the most important thing to me.

We eat together pretty much every night (DCs are 4.2yo and 2.7yo)

I regularly get faced with 'I don't like that' by my 4yo the second he claps eyes on his meal, but the fact that we all eat together and discuss what it is means that he will usually at the very least try the meal, if not polish it off after discovering it is nice after all.

As he is so fussy I try to get him involved in meal planning and ask him to help pick a meal or two for the list. This enables a discussion over what kinds of food aren't very good for us and which food types are better etc. I also sometimes go through a recipe book with him and look at the pictures, getting him to tell me what he would like to try.

I think it is important to eat together, and I say this as someone who used to cook for the DCs at 4.30/5pm and then again for me and dh at 7.30pm until as recently as Christmas/New Year. It is bloody tiring, let me tell you. So it is beneficial for me to only have to cook once, and I believe it is beneficial for the DCs to see everyone eating the same/similar meals. I try to do one meal a week/fortnight that they haven't had before and encourage them to try new things. Another benefit is that my oldest, who really struggles with cutlery and always eats with his hands, sees his parents and his brother eating with cutlery and I hope that one day it will become more natural for him to use cutlery rather than handle his food. Other things with regard to table manners are also enforced and shown as an example, such as sit on your chair properly (don't hang off the side with one foot on the floor as my 4yo seems to want to do all the time) and don't mess about with food (namely throwing).

I can't compare teatimes with teenagers etc. but I will say that I only felt that eating together was manageable recently. Before my youngest was 2yo if we ever ate together, I spent the whole time 'doing things' instead of eating - I like to enjoy a meal and found it much less stressful to eat once they were in bed. Now they eat at the table happily I like that we eat together. I also make sure there's a jug of water on the table, otherwise the second I sit down, someone has finished their drink and is after more water!

So in summary I think my tips would be:
Make sure everything is on the table before you sit down to eat, so it's more relaxed
Get children involved in meal planning.
Introduce new foods alongside food you know the DCs already like
Try to eat the same thing around the table, then the DCs are more likely to try it (imho)
Instill table manners (too many people don't seem to think this is important anymore)

We eat together during the week but the kids seem to talk less when we are in the room - they squabble like mad if we leave the table or are not eating for some reason, but sometimes their laughter is great. I always make them eat tea together as its part of our family life. MY elder kids share the jobs of cleaning the kitchen everynight so its part of the communal idea and getting to work together. I think the hardest part of getting together is that everyone is tired from all their commitments and just want to eat their tea. I try and do their favourite meals and that gets them talking, or I start a conversation on something I know they cant resist discussing. ;)

We try to eat together when possible - make meal times a shared, family occassion.
DS is only 6 months old but he's in a highchair and is weaning so can now join in!
He loves it and so do we - though it can get messy!!

when ds was younger we used to sometimes have a 'date' tea. this would mean laying the table really nicely and lighting candles and having nice glasses (trusting him to not break it) and making a big fuss of it. he used to love it.

nowadays i'd say we only eat tea together a couple of times a week. we are hungry at different times and are often eating different things especially as i'm trying to lose weight at the minute.

i think the whole 'must sit down and eat together every day' thing is probably true if it is the only time you spend together but ds and i have plenty of time together and there are certain bits of the day that our special 'together' times that aren't mealtimes or anything to do with food.

sometimes wonder if the whole 'family must sit down and eat a huge meal together' thing is as much of a food industry marketing creation as the 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' adage created by the likes of kelloggs.

i can think of nicer ways of being together, talking and having quality engagement than doing so between mouthfuls of food.

My son is only two but we always eat dinner together at the table. For me it's about creating good habits for the future. So my tip is to always make time for dinner together

This is a very high priority in our family. We are all very into food, talk about it lot and spend a lot of time cooking, so it comes very natural to eat together.

Dinner time is an important time where we as a family get to talk together. Obviously not every dinner time is as relaxed and enjoyable as we would like it to be, but we do try.

When the kids were small, I didn't particularly enjoy eating at 5.30pm, but now that they are 6 and 8, it's 6pm, and I am quite used to it. I do miss having late suppers, but there is a time and a place for everything!

We try to cook food that everybody likes. We usually eat the same food, no special food for anyone, although at the moment my 8 year old DD refuses to eat fish, but I expect that will pass. We always have a home cooked meal.

It does help that we both work from home and that we prioritise good food. I am happy to spend less money in other areas, but not food (I buy second hand clothes or in the sales).

My advice based on my experience is to avoid offering alternatives if the children don't want to eat what is being served. It will not hurt them to be hungry. It will hurt them to eat food that does not have the right nutrients. Try to cook food that everybody likes. Spend some time planning a week or few days ahead. Involve the children as soon as you they can (but not every day, as they might get bored with it and you might get very frustrated). My DS is happy to watch me cook and lay the table if I decide he can't help because it is too complicated or dangerous. My DD is becoming very good at offering help with things that she knows she can do.

Oldest DS is now 20 (youngest 13), so over the years, we've probably done most formats of 'teatime'

When the DC were young, they had a cooked lunch and light tea before DH came home. I usually ate with him then.

As they got older and started attending nurseries, we moved to a lighter lunch and main meal in the evening. Again, it had to be before DH came home to start with as he didn't get in until after 6.30.

Later still, once at school, we all started eating together in the evening (DH was getting home a bit earlier then) when possible, although DH would sometimes be a bit late and had to heat his up.

The time has got later and later - used to be 5pm, then 5.30, then 6.00pm. Now it tends to be 6.30ish.

We have always tried to eat as a family ever since my eldest son was born (he's 9 now), it's not always possible as I work shifts but its a crucial part of our family life. It sounds corny but it gives us a chance to chat about our days and its around the dinner table that we get to hear all the little snippets of information that the children don't usually tell us when distracted by other things (ie Lego, kindle, etc) For e.g. I want to be a dog called Bullseye and chase cats" DS 2 or their thoughts on the news " the man who said that disabled children shouldered be killed should be kicked out if I was a councillor I would kick him out"DS1 (where he heard about that I don't know maybe on the radio in his dad's car) so that's why mealtimes are important to us .

I got it wrong at first.
It was very difficult to sit down together when DCs were small. They simply couldn't wait until DH was home from work. Consequently I used to cook twice, first for them at 5pm and then for us after they were in bed.
I always did a proper Sunday lunch though.
In hindsight I believe I should have made more effort as I think that it contributed to them being faddy.
What changed was when they were around 7/8 ish and bedtimes were creeping back. They showed an interest in what we were eating and started to eat with us on weekend evenings. I did a complete about turn and started to make sure we all ate together. It meant cooking slightly differently but they started to enjoy foods they would never touch before.

Now they are 15 and 17 and we eat together every night at the table. I firmly believe that meals together like this are one of the great pleasures and foundations of family life.

its not that often we all sit together and eat at home, dh works long hours so he's not normally back before dcs are in bed. they also eat earlier than i would prefer to eat but i sometimes do eat with them and sometimes don't. i am always there and i do talk to them but i may be cleaning the kitchen etc while they eat rather than sitting down at the table. our kitchen table is actually not big enough to fit everyone sat round it at once so that makes it a bit difficult too (bigger table wont fit in the kitchen!)

I really enjoy our mealtimes.
We are a family of 7 and we always sit at the table together for our evening meal.
I have 2 teenagers, 2 primary school aged girls and a toddler.
I never cook separate meals, we all eat the same foods. Luckily all of the children love vegetables.
I do serve meals that one person doesn't like, spaghetti bolognese for example. DS-15 isn't keen on pasta so he'll have more of the sauce, less pasta and some french bread instead. DH doesn't like cauliflower so he gets a smaller portion of that but extra carrots etc.
The children like to discuss what they've accomplished or enjoyed during the day.
Sometimes we play 'I spy' or discuss an upcoming event/holiday.
Everybody sits at the table until we've all finished eating.
Towards the end of the meal we'll put on some music and the girls sing along. The toddler likes to dance too and enjoys making his siblings laugh.
Meal times in our home are one of my favourite things.
DD-6 nearly always helps me to cook too. She loves being in the kitchen with me and we listen to music, sing and dance when I'm cooking.

I have ds6 and ds3. We eat together at the table 6 nights a week together. On Saturdays we have dinner in the lounge watching a film. We are lucky that dh gets home around 5ish so we eat together at 6. My boys eat anything and everything and I think it's because they eat whet we eat whether its curry or steak. I would hate to cook 2 meals a night and make different dinners for who eats what.

We eat together in the evening, I feel it is important as we can chat about our day and listen to each others stories of what has been happening and we usually laugh.

It is also important that all family members are involved in preparing the table, carrying dishes and helping clearing afterwards, it promotes team work and that is what we are a team - I don't run a hotel.

I have 6 years between eldest and youngest and youngest was often feed at nursery, but always sat tot he table for dinner to join in the chatter - she was given a small supper snack so that she also had something to eat and felt part of family dinner time.

Making tea time at the table work is doing it regular so that it is habit and everyone knows how to eat at the table, letting each person talk and have their turn and not rushing and how to help out before and after.

i have sat with frustrated parents at a table and they don't usually eat at the table and get frustrated at doing all the work and then the children don't sit for long or don't behave as they wish, this is due to the parents not the children

I struggle to get home in time for dinner on a weekday as the kids are 3.5 and 1 so they eat early! However, on the weekends, even if I'm not eating with them, I'll sit down at the table with them and we'll talk about the day. I also try to get my DD to "help" me cook the meals (she'll grate cheese, mash up potatoes, etc.) so that she feels involved.

We always eat breakfast and dinner together so in general the kids are well used to it as a standard part of the day. If there is a wait between main course and pudding we play games like 'daddy or chips' where a person has to choose between 2 objects or things. Or after dinner we stay at the table and play board games. Otherwise if it's a special occasion the kids make place name cards and choose decorations for the table.

Ooh I forgot something. When our kids used to struggle with taking turns to speak during dinner, we had a little wooden figure that we took turns to hold when it was your turn to speak. That helped a lot.

I think it is really important for families to eat together because it is a good opportunity to talk and listen to each other and hear about each other's day. We have a 3 yr old and a 4yr old who can be picky eaters but we take the approach that if they don't eat their dinner, there isn't anything else. We all eat the same, I don't think it's a good idea to be cooking different meals. I also hope that in time they will be more accepting of all meals! Both children sit nicely at the table, there can be a bit of playing around, but generally they are good. I think that's because we have always sat down together for mealtimes.

it's harder as your children get older. I have 2 teens and they are always out doing different things, as are DH and I, now we are getting our 'own' lives back a bit! And the boys are less family orientated, and craving independence.
We always strive for at east two nights a week which we do manage to eat evening meal together, and these are 'sacred' though other people are welcome to join us. We also encourage the boys to make a youtube /spotify playlist to provide music for the meal. it's not always our taste, but it encourages converstion and bonding and the boys love showing off 'their' music to us oldies.

We always try and eat together and think its really important. My husband often comes in from work eats with us then will do more work so that he can be their! The evenings my husband isn't home the children don't eat as well, and they miss the catching up time we have all together.
We eat just after 5 usually and we sometimes have an extra snack in the evening to make up for it being so early but we have really seen the benefits of eating together.

I have two dd's aged 4 and 1 and my dh doesnt get home until 8pm. Once dd2 was weaned i used to make dh and i dinner at 8 and plate up a meal for the dd's to eat the following day. It was less stressful as i merely warmed their meal. But dd1is extremely picky and left to her own devices sat at the table meant she ate hardly anything and dd2 saw no good behaviours.

Now i make a family meal for me and the girls and plate dh his up. The change in eating has been massive. Dd1 is getting more adventurous with food. Dd2 tries to copy her with cutlery etc. we talk about our days and its a far nicer affair. At weekends we make sure we all eat together at every meal including dh. Dd1 prefers it if we have a "help yourself" tea so weekends we have a roast decanted into terrines or something that requires construction like chilli/nachos/rice. We have a much more enjoyable time if we are all helping ourselves around the table chatting.

I have a DD age 5 and a DD age 1, I think it's very important to sit at the table together as a family as much as possible, it's usually just me and the girls due to OHs working hours. It helps teach them how to eat when they are young and helps to teach and I force table manners too which I think is very important. We all eat the same meal usually, the only time I cook them something different to us is if we are having something really spicy for example. It is also a great opportunity for us all to communicate and talk about our day together.

I seem to be in the minority here! We rarely have "family teatime" at home, for the following reasons:

1. DH doesn't get home til 6.30ish and the kids (3 and 6) are on their way to bed by then.
2. If I ate at 5 with the kids I would need another meal before bedtime and soon be the size of a house.
3. Finding things we all like is complicated by the fact that DH and I are both veggie, whereas DS1 is allergic to nuts, egg, sesame and pulses.

I have berated myself about this in the past but come to the conclusion that there are bigger things to worry about in life. The boys always have meals at the dinner table and I'll either float about doing chores or sit and have a cup of tea with them, in either case we are chatting about their day or other random things. We eat lunch in restaurants reasonably often (and dinner on holiday when the kids stay up later) and they are generally impeccably behaved.

We all eat together at the dining table for pretty much every meal. Me, DH and 4 DC. I'm a SAHM so I get to hear all the chat throughout the day but the DC take it in turns to update Daddy on what's happened in their day. Our evening meal is pretty much always cooked from scratch and the kids get involved in the shopping for and preparing the meal. We grow veg sometimes too and the kids love it. I have a 'one meal for everyone' rule whereby I promise not to give them yukky dinners but I will only ever cook one meal which we will all eat. Sometimes if I feel it's getting a bit samey, we have a buffet-style dinner which the kids love. I use platters and include some treats that would not normally be given at dinner time.

We always eat together as a family (except breakfast as DH leaves earlier). I think it's important to sit and spend time calmly all together as the week is so hectic it's nice to chat and catch up on each other's days. DC is only 2 though so conversation is a bit limited, but I think it's a good template to give him as he grows up.

I wouldn't say we make teatime fun as such but I try to get DC involved in laying the table so he can see there's more to it than just turning up and sitting down. It's also an opportunity to teach DC our family culture/manners as DH and I both work FT (although our CM is pretty hot on proper behaviour already).

We all eat breakfast together on work days, and one parent has breakfast with the kids at the weekend (the other has the lie-in!).

Always have dinner with the kids at the weekend.
Sometimes we just run out of time in the week. On a Mon and Tues, I try really hard to do a non bread based meal, as oldest gets sandwiches. The other days he gets a cooked lunch at Nursery, so if i have to work late, they have a easy meal (scrambled eggs, beans etc), and we eat later.

Not sure how I'm going to help Birdseye tho - think the only things we have of theirs is petti pois!

We eat dinner together most nights as I think it's important to eat together as a family. It gives us time to chat about our day and enjoy our food. We generally eat the same foods unless it's something the kids don't like e.g. a very spicy dish.

We always ate together as a family in the evening when I was a child and it's something I've carried on with my own children. I don't think the age of kids makes much of a difference, though babies and toddlers find it more difficult to sit still for any length of time!

We have a toddler. We eat together every night, apart from the rare occasions DH is late home, in which case, DS and I eat earlier. DS will still be awake when DH gets home, and sometimes share his meal for a second serving.
I can't imagine us ever wanting to eat at a different time to our DC. It's lovely eating together. I think it is a nice family thing to do, so start as we mean to go on. We always all have the same food for dinner, DS ate whatever we had right from the off.
We don't always eat at the table, we think it's nice to sit on the floor sometimes, or on the sofa, and feel relaxed and comfortable. I don't think this is a bad thing.
DS always helps make dinner too.

We have DCs aged 7, 5, 3 and a 7 month old baby. We all eat together at 6pm, and always have done. It means a substantial late afternoon snack to keep them going. For me the most practical tip is to plan in advance and if possible cook in advance too. I have big batches of stuff in the freezer, or use the oven timer whilst toing and froing to after school activities.

The biggest challenge is finding meals that all will eat (at least some of), but that DH and I don't find too boring . I miss stir frys and curries .

We eat dinner together nearly every night. We normally eat 5 mins after dh comes in, so it gives us a chance to find out about each others days, talking is important to us. Its stress free, none of us have to finish our meals if we have had enough. We usually try and have fun with dd after dinner

We all sit together as a family to eat our evening meal. We have no distraction of television or technology and use it as a time to catch up with each other and hear each others news. One evening a week my children (7 and 10) choose a meal that they want to cook, write down the ingredients that they need to buy and then go with me to the supermarket to buy them. One of them makes the main meal and the other makes dessert and then the following week they swap round. I believe that sitting and eating our meals together has made them 'very good eaters' as they have seen my husband and I eating a variety of meals and setting a good example. Obviously like most households our lives are hectic with after school clubs etc. but we try to spend whatever time we have together at the table together.

It's only me and DS so we always eat together, and when he has friends round I take it for granted that they'll sit at the table.

If there is something particular that DS wants to watch on TV, I'll try to arrange the meal around that within reason, otherwise he will wolf it down to get back to the football. When we have grown-up friends, I'll often let the youngster(s) go to play for a while and come back later for pudding, as the adults will just be talking for ages which he would sometimes find boring.

I notice at friends houses with several children, it is much harder to eat together, as they have to co-ordinate with different activities.

We try to eat together as often as we can but it's a struggle on the three days I work - I get home at 5.30 and the boys need to eat by 6 to be in bed for 7ish (they're 1 and 3).
Those days, they often eat by themselves (though I always try to sit down with them and chat) and DH and I eat later.
We eat together the days I don't work and at weekends (unless DH and I fancy takeaway or something unhealthy on a Friday night!).
My top tip, which I've only been doing myself for a few weeks, is to utilise a slow cooker. Then I can put something in before I go to work, or when I have a quiet half hour during the day, and it'll be ready when we get in from work, making getting dinner ready to eat together a lot less hassle when everyone's just getting home and there's bathtime to do etc etc etc!

I think its really important otherwise wed never all be together as a family as my elder daughter likes to stalk of to her room. Its also a good chance to talk to my husband and first son about their day. I try to make food that looks funny, shaped like a face or so so my son will eat it, also I use desert as a big encouragement,

We always eat together, and encourage the children to help with all aspects of cooking and eating, from menu planning, choosing ingredients, chopping and preparing, cooking, to serving and eating! As a result of that and baby led weaning, both are brilliant eaters, thankfully!

We eat together about 3 or 4 nights out of 7. On the days when we aren't eating all together, one or both adults will sit with the children (we have 2 children aged 5 and nearly 2) while they eat.

I think it's important to all eat together as a family when you can. As the children get older, then I'm hoping they'll be able to stay up a bit later and we can eat together more often - at the moment, they both need quite an early bedtime, but I find it difficult myself to want to eat at that time - and it's even worse for DH to get straight in from work to a meal on the table, with no time to relax and unwind. So we compromise to do it half the time.

I don't try to make mealtimes "fun". I hope they are enjoyable due to nice food(!) and a chance for a bit of conversation. DD1 likes to have a story read during dinner, we do that occasionally if it is just the children eating.

I can't wait for the nice weather when we can all eat outside - that always makes mealtimes "fun!"

We eat late - at about 8pm but all eat as a family. DD1 is almost 2 and has a long nap after lunch and a snack at about 4. LO will start weaning soon but at the moment She always sits near the table and watches us or has milk at the same time.

DD1 'helps' prepare, in that I lift her up and show her each stage of food preparation and let her handle ingredients and smell them etc. If I am mixing things together she can mix too, or turn the dial on the food processor etc. If I am doing something messy like making burgers or fish cakes she gets stuck in too.

I think it is important to eat as a family at table and we have done so since DD1 was weaned. I don't see mealtimes as fun particularly, but DD1 really enjoys participating in the preparation, and it helps keep her occupied until her dad comes home which is the highlight of her day. In the long term there will be a no screen rule at table but at the moment the only rule is that teddy bears can sit and watch but we don't play with them while we are eating

We eat together probably 4-5 nights out of 7. When it's an organized week, we're managing because we've done something like make-ahead chicken or Crock Pot stew. On a disorganized week, we're managing because DSD (7) goes straight to bed after her tea. Sometimes, we'll make something quick for DSD to get her started and join her once our own tea is done. Sometimes, we settle for a single-item meal (soup, a bowl of spaghetti with chunky sauce, etc).There's more time to do a relaxed and varied roast dinner spread on the weekends.

I like eating together because it gives me and DH a chance to stop focusing on ourselves and focus on DSD for awhile. I think it gives DSD the same chance, TBH. She listens to me and DH talk and will pipe in with her own questions or opinion.

This all goes a lot more smoothly and according to plan when we leave the TV off.

At the moment, I'm on mat leave and DH works at home so we all eat together. Since we've been doing this, I've noticed a huge improvement in DD's eating. she loves the fact that we all eat the same thing and also that we use the same crockery - we give her a side plate that matches our plates (she's 3 and a half). I tend to plan meals for the week, which involves eating the sane thing a couple of nights in a row so I don't have to cook every day. I also love my slow cooker as I can get a meal underway in the morning, which makes for less effort at the end of the day.

In general we all eat together and we all eat the same thing.
It has taken a lot of restraint to accept that my children are hard to feed. The rule in our house is you don't have to eat it but it stays on your plate and there is nothing else. Sometimes they go hungry, it's their choice.

When we have time (which is usually only at weekends) the children help prepare the meal. They will at least try something new if they've helped cook it.

On evenings when we will be eating at different times I will try and do something in the slow cooker.

I'm not sure mealtimes are fun. It's not a party, just part of our family routine where we all get together and have some time to talk.

i have 2 ds's 5 and 2 so eating together up the table is important for them learning table manners. and for us and dp to catch up. Every evening meal is all of us and mornings is just myself and ds's and 7mo dd.
tips for getting them to stay at the table is to ask them to set it, with their own cutlery, plate and cups. and they have to have shown an effort or no dessert.