Children's tea time?

[rhuhbarb4]

So I have 3 dcs a nearly 4yo and 3yo and a 10 month old. They get up every mor I get and have breakfast at 7-7:30 they then have the lunch at playgroup at 12-12:30 I then prepare their evening meal and it is always ready for 4-4:30 they are then in bed at 6:10.

Here my albu many people (including MIL) have commented asking why I feed them their evening meal so early even when I explain their day theyou are still adamant on it being too early for them. So AIBU to have tea at 4-4:30 or are they?

[rhuhbarb4]

Apologies for all the typos there damn phone hope you geto the jist of it.

[ThisIsStartingToBoreMe]

I always used to give mine their main meal about 4.30 as soon as they got home from school/nursery . That was the time they were most starving and would really eat a good meal.

If they were hungry again before bed they had toast or cereal

[Rainydayspending]

A break so you're not in the fist stages of digesting a meal before sleep is good. YANBU

[rubberducker]

Sounds like a perfectly normal routine to me (albeit a bit early to bed - not sure how you manage that!) If they're in bed for just after 6pm then I wouldn't want to feed them tea much later than you do.

[Rainydayspending]

*first. my phone has sympathy it would seem.

[Soubriquet]

I feed my DC around 4 ish. They are in bed for 6. Any later than 4 and bedtime has to be pushed back meaning two cranky children

It works for you, like it does for me. Ignore them

[KatharinaRosalie]

I don't think mine would sleep through the night if they had their evening meal at 4. But whatever works for your family, why does it bother MIL?

[hoddtastic]

yes but HOW DO YOU GET THEM ALL INTO BED FOR THAT TIME AND SLEEPING UNTIL 7.30??

buggar tea time....

[Soubriquet]

I do Navy

I eat around 7

[DubiousCredentials]

Ah I remember the days of a 6pm bedtime

[Soubriquet]

Luck mostly hodtastic

They both love their sleep (still have a 2 hour nap in the day time too)

[Afreshstartplease]

Mine eat between 430-530 and go to bed between 7-730
They are 3,7+8
The older two wake between 730-830,(730 school day)
3 year old is a pain for getting up at 530/6 and the gro clock does not work ... she understands the concept but doesn't care

[BoboBunnyH0p]

Sounds fine to me, when my DCs were younger I followed a similar routine and they were in bed by 6:30pm. Now they are older they eat around 4 as they are starving after school. If DH is finishing work early I will give them a snack after school and eat as a family around 6.

[HerRoyalFattyness]

Mine eat between 4 and 5. The 2 year old and the 1 year old both get shoved into beds at 6, asleep for 7. The 8 year old goes up at 8.30. I'm usually up for the day at 6 ish. Sometimes a bit earlier with the youngest. The 2 year old would happily sleep until 9 am if she could. I usually have to wake her.

[NicknameUsed]

yes but HOW DO YOU GET THEM ALL INTO BED FOR THAT TIME AND SLEEPING UNTIL 7.30??

This ^^

DD was never a 12 hour sleeper, even as a baby. How come your children are so tired by 6.10? Even in reception at school DD wouldn't go to sleep before 8.30.

She dropped her daytime nap by the time she was two and a half, and has only needed more sleep since becoming a teenager. She is 16 now and fast asleep on the settee.

[YoScienceBitch]

My toddler would be up at 3am asking for food if I fed her that early. Which is a bummer as I'm usually hungry by then!

[formerbabe]

Mine eat their dinner/tea at about 4pm. I then give them a small snack at 7...like toast, crackers, fruit. Bed at 7.30pm.

[HerRoyalFattyness]

NicknameUsed only my youngest napped after turning 1! He stopped about a month ago. He's 16 months. The other two dropped naps completely at around 10/11 months. That's why mine are ready for bed that early!

[Soubriquet]

Oh I'm going to be the most hated posted now aren't I?

Mine are 3 and 20 months. They get up around 7.30, back for a nap around 11, get up around 1-2 and back in bed for 6

[Inthenick]

My three, similar ages, are the same except dinner is 5pm and bed is 7pm.

If it works for you I don't see the problem. As they start school etc schedules will likely change.

[rhuhbarb4]

Thank you for all your replies. My 2 don't nap during the day and have a pretty full on day every day after finishing playgroup they come home and I always have activities planned to keep them entertained my house from looking like a bombsite so I think this helps tire them out. They are honestly tired by that time and want to go to bed. I am enjoying it right now as I'm sure it will change soon.

I am also hopeful that it is life rewarding me for all the sleepless nights I have had over the past 4 years they have both only been reliable sleepers for about a year so up untill then it was a complete nightmare!

navy Yes I do eat in peace later while dh puts them to bed I am in the kitchen preparing his and mine tea.

[Ellieboolou27]

4.30-5pm dinner in our house too mostly, dh and I eat later during the week, 4yo and 14 months so any later they wouldn't last. Snack of toast / milk before bed. Even me as an adult couldn't face eating a meal later than 8pm, unless I'm out for dinner

[HemanOrSheRa]

DS is 11 now but when he was at nursery I gave him his dinner early, about 4.30 -5ish, as any later and he would be literally falling asleep into his food . And he was a good sleeper, he would sometimes sleep for 14 hours and definitely needed 12 hours at nursery age. Although not in his own bed.