Eating round the table and baby bedtime

[delilah88]

DD is 5 months and almost ready to start weaning. I fancy setting her up with us for dinner and just putting chunks on her high-chair table, to include her in the family dinner. But how do you manage to do this taking into account baby bed time? She never stays awake later than 7 and we (she is our first baby) rarely eat earlier than 7.30, tending to cook after she's asleep. Did you move your whole family dinner permanently earlier? Any suggestions/experience welcome!

[cravingcake]

We make breakfast our 'family round the table' time whenever we can. Lunch as often as possible (weekends or when my DH is working from home). Dinner for my DS is normally somewhere between 4.30 & 5pm, and for us is normally about 7.30/8pm. We try at weekends to do an early dinner for all of us (roast or casserole sort of thing).

Don't forget that they will also learn eating 'nicely' around a table if you go to any groups where they have snacks. Didn't take long for my DS to see all the other kids sitting nicely eating fruit for him to join in (he was closer to 9 months when he started snacking at the right time).

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

We all eat at 5pm. Sometimes DH is home, sometimes he's not. Think it is important to eat together with the children and my Dhs hours are so erratic I can't wait for him. We do also eat breakfast at the table too.

[blackteaplease]

I have a snack and a drink with the children at 5 then we eat after they are in bed. Always have breakfast together and i eat lunch with them too.

[Wildwaterfalls]

Same issue here!

We have breakfast all together, lunch just me and DC, then I cook dinner around 5pm and eat together with DC. I save half my portion to eat with DH later.

Actually works quite well as I used to get quite hungry waiting for DH who is often home late.

[neshi]

Same issue here so I just have a snack with them while they eat. I sit down and have a tea and toast with hummus for ex...keep then company, have a chat and making sure they eat.

[MerryMingeWhingesAgain]

I mostly ended up having tea twice An earlyish tea with the children then something else later on.

[BrianButterfield]

We all eat about 5.30/6 now. It's not really an issue and it's nice to have all the cooking/tidying out of the way by the time ds is in bed so we can relax.

[Andcake]

Ds is 7 months and I am currently only doing 2 meals a day. We run an 8-8 schedule so its a bit easier as well. But we have breakfast together up the table and I have a snack when he has dinner at 4.30-5 ish. I started on 3 meals a day but he ended up v hiccupy and with runny poo so brought it down to try and get his gut used to food slowly- which has helped.

[VisualiseAHorse]

Same issue here - OH often doesn't finish work till 6 or 7pm, so baby has his tea at 5pm. We're only just cooking our evening meal now, and the baby has been asleep for 1.5 hours!

I always sit and eat lunch and breakfast with the LO. I also have a cuppa and a slice of toast with him at tea-time.

[SanneSannes]

We moved dinner forward to 6pm when DC1 was ready to join and have 6 mo DC2 join us now as well. Bedtime for both is 7 - 7.30pm. I am the one working ft whilst DP is SAHD, meaning that often i cannot join them during the week but obviously do during we.