To live without a dining table??

As someone who is chronically unwell and has no choice but to eat on the sofa, or even (god forbid ) in bed more often than not I've actually found this thread very hurtful really. I realise people have preferences regarding where to eat but it does seem beyond tragic to posture about eating at a bloomin table of all things as though that's what better classes of people with self respect do and those who don't are 'grim' and lowbrow to the point some posters can't even conceive of the horror of such lowbrow living. Good old mumsnet.

I live in a flat in London...I don't have a dining table (or room), a kitchen table or even any chairs just a sofa. You get used to it

The kids have a little side table they sit on the floor to eat at, but the rest of us sit on the sofa with a tray

@CakeRequired the point they’re trying to make is they don’t do things like sit around watching tv like something off of Shameless. They’re too busy crafting at their dining table and playing board games. They wouldn’t even miss the sofa!

So much snobbery on this thread it’s unreal. Sure we would ALL rather have space for a sofa and a dining table but the simple truth is not everyone does and if they want to prioritise a sofa over a table then that’s reasonable.

Those people who would choose a dining table over a sofa, if you have no sofas in your home, where do your guests sit? Do you expect people to sit on uncomfortable dining chairs? They are not comfy enough to sit on for hours, no matter how expensive they are. Where do you sit to watch TV or a film? Dining table?

I'd think someone was really weird to choose a dining table over a sofa. It's impractical really unless you never have guests or use a sofa to relax on.

We had a dining table growing up, it never got used. Not even at Christmas. My table manners were better than my cousins who were forced to sit at a table. I don't see them as essential, something nice to have if you can, but not essential.

We have a dining table and rarely use it, in fact, the last time was probably 2 years ago. This is the same as I had growing up where we only ever used the dining table for Christmas Day and New Years day and, shock horror, ate off of trays on the sofa the rest of the time. It's not damaged me in anyway, it's not like I become a cave woman slamming on the table for food whenever we go to a restaurant or sit at a dining table.

My husband comes from a family of every meal at the table and much prefers eating from the sofa, as do his brothers in their homes. And yes, we have eaten Christmas Dinner on the sofa too. Absolutely nothing grim about all the lovely food in front of us out on the coffee table with the fire on, Christmas tree twinkling away next to us and a Christmas film on the TV.

The ridiculous judgmental attitude on this thread is hilarious.

The children I worry about are the ones who don’t have a hot meal to eat. I won’t worry too much about the ones having to eat their home cooked meal or even (god forbid) chicken nuggets on the sofa or floor.

Where are you going to put your piles of papers, parcels, letters, car keys, random toys, children's homework and the fruit bowl if you don't have a table though?
Thinking about it, I think I need a little tidy up!

I can't think of any property I ever had with no space for a small sofa-sofa bad and a table, at least a breakfast bar kind of thing
but my kids would be better off with bean bags or floor cushions and a table than a sofa but no table.

How on earth do you teach your children table manners and sit properly when they don't have a table and chair?

I'd sell the sofa rather than go without a table tbh.

Me too

@Hotelhelp - OP doesn't live in a tiny bedsit though, she says they have an enormous corner sofa taking up too much space, not that they couldn't work it out to fit both in.

Apart from the arguments about eating dinners off your laps - which people are never going to agree on - don't you use your tables for other things ? I'm using mine to write Christmas cards at the moment, then recently, there was a jigsaw on there (on a board, you can move at meal time). Loads of people are working from home. Don't know what age dc people have, but what about homework, or maybe coluring / sticking / etc if younger. What bout if you have people round and want to put out food. What about if you are working on something that just needs spreading out / other docs to refer to ?
I mean, we all eat round the kitchen table usually, but I'm assuming this is about not having a table in the house at all ?

I really like having a table, and wouldn’t want to do without one if I could possibly avoid it. It gives me indigestion for one thing, and I think it’s more sociable to eat at the table.

I would also be inclined to sell the sofa before not having a table, and get a smaller sofa.

This thread is reminding me of my FIL, who’s very establishment upper middle class.

I work in consumer research. I was doing a project for a frozen food brand at the time and was commenting that many of the target market didn’t eat at a table. He could not get this into his head and kept insisting that I must mean they weren’t eating at dining tables, but kitchen ones instead (because not everyone has a separate dining room anymore, you know 😆).

I would want a table as well as a sofa.

Can you not get a slim one that goes against a wall with two chairs on the side facing the wall and a chair at each end? There's a lot of houses around me that I see on Rightmove and people tend to do this, especially if their staircase leads off the lounge.

I think you'll definitely regret not having a table. You do need to eat at it sometimes and it's so useful as a desk or for children's activities.

I have a dining g table but its covered in my crafts in various stages of being painted so unusable. I have a nice little side table I pull up to the sofa to eat off and it folds away when not in use.

People saying they’d have a table over a sofa are being a little disingenuous I think

I agree. I spend more time on the sofa than at the dining room table.

We have a fold out table which sits against a wall. It's ok but we end up with dinner on our laps most of the time. We like being able to fold it out when people come over though

I'm neglectful as well then. I don't have a table nor do I have the room for one. Not even a folding down one (where do the chairs go?) But dd still has manners and can use a knife and fork fine. And yes we will have Xmas Dinner on our knees and I can't wait.

I honestly thought it was an urban tale that nowadays families sat on the sofa to eat their meals, and children on the floor! I think that is grim.

When I split from my ex, DD and I rented a small place so we used a small folding table. Took no time to set up. Dont get me wrong she would often have a bowl of cornflakes sat on the sofa but the majority of our meals we used the little fold up table.

How many times do you walk into someone’s house and they don’t have a sofa though? People saying they’d have a table over a sofa are being a little disingenuous I think.

I don’t think it’s snobbery to think that teaching kids how to sit and behave during a meal at the table, and not having them slopping food and filth all over the sofa, is important.

My brother’s kids never eat at the table and when we do (did) go out for family meals, they require constant behaviour checking and iPads to keep them sitting down and quiet. My sister’s kids eat at a table for every meal and behave beautifully because they’re used to it. They can also make conversation with adults as they all eat together. My sister me kids are younger.

I don’t think it makes me a snob and I know which kids I’d rather be with when out.

I think everyone understands that space is at a premium, @audweb. But unless you are actually living in a tiny bedsit I once lived in, where you could fry an egg sitting up in bed, the place was so small, what most people are saying is that it’s not that you do not have space, you’ve just prioritised different furniture in that space.

Most people who say they don’t have a table to eat at seem to have prioritised a sofa.

Smaller sofa.

While I love dinner in front of the TV, I also love sitting round a table, whether with people or on my own. I couldn't do without one.

My 2 year old is the really grim one, scatters stuff, deliberately puts stuff on the floor, accidentally knocks stuff everywhere 5 year old not so often but would probably poke disliked stuff down the side of the sofa to hide it if she thought she could.

Occasionally I have tried indoor picnics, always regretted them.

DH and I happily ate on the sofa pre DC, if we didn't have space for a "proper" table we'd have one for the kids to eat at, with hard/flat chairs to sit on. Or a low table/sitting on the floor option. Sitting on something fabric with cracks, gaps and creases is a recipe for stuff in crevices. I also dislike "fabric" dining chairs - much prefer wipeable stuff with the kids at the ages they are!