Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dinner times at grandparents'

210 replies

applestrudels · 29/08/2024 12:04

If you had very young grandchildren (under 5), who usually ate dinner at 5pm, whereas you normally ate dinner between 8 and 9pm, and then you invited your grandchildren, along with their parents, to stay at your house for a few days, would you try and make the children's dinner at 5pm, or would you stick to your normal routine of dinner anywhere between 8 and 9pm, or would you compromise (so, 6 or 7pm)?

YANBU: I would try and make dinner earlier, at least for the children
YABU: My house, my rules. Dinner is at MY usual time.

OP posts:
cupcaske123 · 29/08/2024 12:20

I wouldn't be able to eat that late, never mind expect children to. I have lunch around 12, so that's 8 or 9 hours until my next meal.

mitogoshi · 29/08/2024 12:20

6.30 for all. I can't understand eating so late myself, not good for digestion!

shellyleppard · 29/08/2024 12:20

Early tea for little ones then eat at a later time with the adults

Mrsttcno1 · 29/08/2024 12:20

Putting · 29/08/2024 12:19

I’d ask the parents what works for their kids and do that.

Most of the time it seems to be very young kids eat early and then adults eat after the children are in bed, but will entirely depend on the individuals.

Yeah I agree with this.

Ask parents what works best. I wouldn’t take my young children for dinner if it wasn’t going to be served until 8-9pm, they’d have been in bed by that time.

Marnieloves · 29/08/2024 12:20

5PM is absurdly early for dinner!

Putting · 29/08/2024 12:19

I’d ask the parents what works for their kids and do that.

Most of the time it seems to be very young kids eat early and then adults eat after the children are in bed, but will entirely depend on the individuals.

TammyJones · 29/08/2024 12:18

A good host would bend over backwards to feed the children at their regular time

Mostunexpected · 29/08/2024 12:16

I'd do dinner by 6ish. You can't make under 5s wait until 8/9 to eat

mindutopia · 29/08/2024 12:16

I’d talk to the parents about what they wanted to do. Generally though, if people come to stay and are being offered a meal, that meal happens whenever I am able to cook it. I definitely wouldn’t serve food for everyone at 5pm (even my own under 5’s never ate dinner at 5pm).

But if people come to visit us, I always say they are welcome to bring anything they want to cook specially for their dc and they can use the kitchen to prepare that if they’re hungry outside of a usual mealtime. This is what we always did visiting grandparents and then dc would just join in for the main dinner too or one of us would be putting them to bed while the other ate.

Tinkerbellflowers · 29/08/2024 12:07

Either dinner earlier for everyone, or feed the grandchildren at their usual time and the adults later. Definitely wouldn't make children eat as late as 8pm.