To live without a dining table??

Obviously OP is making a choice about table/no table but I love the aghast horror at how terrible not having a dining table would be in this thread. I grew up in a home far too small for a table in either kitchen or living room. I did my homework on a desk in my bedroom and at Christmas we either - gasp - ate off our knees or brought the garden table in and pushed the sofas up together to make space.

We don't have a dining table in our current house, either. No room. Both kitchen and living room are far too small. Spare us your snobbish horror...

Bill Ben exactly.

We don’t have space for a dining table, we have one small living room and a galley kitchen. We had to get rid of an arm chair to put a fold up table in the corner, but it’s totally impractical there is now not enough sofa for us all to sit on and the table is also too small to eat a family meal around. It is such a faff to set the table up as well, nowhere to store the chairs so it rarely gets used.

Another one for it depends on your children and their age. Mine are 8 and 5 and to ensure proper eating , table manners etc they have to eat at the table for all food. I can see however if it is just adults it might well be doable.

Doesn’t really make sense to me. Why teach your children something but then never do it yourself?!

I’m guessing you mean you’d be totally without a table? Rather than have a kitchen table but not a “formal” dining table?

We don’t have a dining table here, but we have a big scrubbed wood table in the kitchen. I couldn’t have a kitchen without a table in it.

Can't imagine not having even a tiny gate leg table.

Where do children do their homework if you dont have a table? And (covid aside) how do you ever have people for dinner? I mean are you going to eat your Christmas dinner off your knees?

If you don’t have DC and don’t (in non Covid times) have guests round then YANBU if you don’t have space.

But if you have DC or are planning them you really should have a small table to seat 4 people- good for crafts and homework, as well as eating meals. We eat with DS at our dining table every day at my insistence, and it’s great- we talk, no screens allowed, and he’s learning the vital social skills of conversation and table manners.

Not having any kind of table seems a shame.

Also spread the weekend papers out on the table with mr morning coffee... bliss!

It sounds as if your sofa is far too big. I would sell that and have a table particularly i with children

I absolutely would never sacrifice a dining table

I’d get a smaller sofa!

Every night children and I sit at table, no TV, chance to talk.

I’m a big believer in decorating and having furniture that genuinely suits your lifestyle but this I don’t understand. Surely at least the option of eating at a table is useful? Or if people come to visit or if you need a space for work/crafts whatever. But sure, you don’t need a dining room table, just a table. There is either room in the kitchen or there is room off the kitchen. I’d adapt my furniture so I could fit a table somewhere.

I would get some kind of folding one. Will you sit and have your Christmas lunch or any other big occasion meal on your knees? Sounds a bit miserable.

I have a small house now, so got rid of our huge sofas for a pair of 2 seaters and a small dining table. I never eat on the sofa. The kids already make mess at the table so I can only imagine what kind of mess they'd make eating off their laps. It's not a good thing to teach children is it? Table manners are really important. I grew up with a girl who didn't have a dining table. I hated going round her house, and having to balance a plate on my lap!

We don't have have and it's bliss! Kids are still young, but I will get a small one when the youngest can actually eat independently. But for now, we are loving the space! And no dumping ground for shit!

Another one for it depends on your children and their age. Mine are 8 and 5 and to ensure proper eating , table manners etc they have to eat at the table for all food. I can see however if it is just adults it might well be doable.

If I'm honest most weekends DC are at their df DP and I eat in the living room ,me on an armchair and him at his desk.

If you celebrate Christmas it might feel odd eating Christmas dinner on the sofa but in fairness that is only once a year (and entirely irrelevant of you don't celebrate it )

We couldn’t be without a table. We didn’t buy an otherwise perfect house because it had no space for a table.

I have a very small house, just the two of us. We have a garden table which we keep outside if we have visitors we bring it in, put a nice tablecloth on it 😃

Isn't is messy and uncomfortable eating on the sofa? I'd hate to do it permanently, it feels somehow uncivilised and unsociable!

I wouldn't be against getting rid of the dining table if you had a kitchen table or island with chairs you could eat off. But I wouldn't do it to eat every meal on the sofa.

Fine if no children, I never had a dining table in my flat before having kids

Can you do something in the kitchen? Eating on the sofa is so restrictive if you have company, also if you have kids I'd be definitely ensuring there was a table, or breakfast bar somewhere so they learn to eat properly

I could never not have a table. Years ago I didn't have much space for one so I had a drop leaf one which takes up a fraction of the space when not in use.

We have a table but have had to use it for work. So now we eat on the sofa. My child eats at the coffee table, which is the right height for her with a little chair. It is what it is.

I got rid of mine but we don't have a sofa either.

where do you sit to eat?