Do you always eat at the dining table?

[SylvesterTheCat]

DP and I eat breakfast (not always together) and lunch at the table but have dinner in front of the telly on trays
But now that we have a DC about to start on solids I think I'd like to start having "dinner as a family" at The Table. Thoughts?

Always eat at the table here. Use napkins and have the right glasses for different drinks.

98% of the time at the table, we watch the occasional film and eat on our laps the other 2 %

Yes at table every meal

The hubby and I used to eat every meal in front of the TV, as we never had breakfast, so lunch at work and tea on our knees, but now we have DS every meal is at the dinning room table with myself and DS and tea as a family when hubby gets in (where possible normally 6 nights a week )

my Nan used to say "a family that eats together, stays together" my mum followed that with us as children ( and divorce my dad lol) but I am carrying it on as I am a big believer in eating at the table and family chatting about your day. No TV, no devices.

We use the dining table for more formal suppers or where there are larger numbers eating. Generally, for less than 10 people we eat at the kitchen table using paper napkins and everyday crockery/glasses etc.
As an occasional treat we’ll eat something like pizza whilst watching a film.

No, it's too cluttered generally 

Maybe I need to make a nicer dining room to inspire us to eat there more often.

This has been enlightening!

If we’re all eating at the same time (prob 80% of the time) we’ll eat at the table.

It’s a big treat for my kids to eat in front of the tv and I let them occasionally if they’re shattered or if I’m sneaking in a less popular meal!
If DH and I are eating later we’ll sometimes eat on the sofa or if we’re feeling really decadent and the sheets are due to be changed, in bed .

Kids always eat at the table and if we all eat together it's at the table too. If it's just dh and myself we eat in front of the TV with a tray.

Dinner at the table most nights unless I'm out or pizza ordered in. Occasional brunch/pancakes at the table at the weekend.

DC are 16 and 18 and I love it - its the most important time of the day to catch up and share news, make plans, have a laugh and unwind.

We only ever use the kitchen table OP. In fact when we moved this year we didn't create a separate dining room, we gave our table away and made a snug.

In our last three houses we had a kitchen table and a separate dining table, we rarely used the latter so gave up on the idea.

Mum of two teenagers here - we always eat at the table and as they have got older its been a rare time of day for us all to be together and catch up in the day without distractions. It's lovely!

I totally agree with this ^
I've got two teens and one in his 20s now, and we've always done our utmost to eat together round the (in our case - kitchen) table. I think it's really important for family communication. From when they are babies in high chair / toddlers / little ones to learn manners and socialising, to develop language, but it really came into its own when they got to secondary school / teens and could have withdrawn into the 'not speaking' phase. It was just always a time to touch base - even if it was on a surface level of who needed lifts where , and when.

Anything non-messy (sandwiches etc) can be eaten on the sofa, but anything requiring a knife and fork or a spoon is eaten at the dining table.

I think it's nice to have the table as a default then TV dinners as a treat - family bonding both ways.

Almost always at the table, occasional pizza on the coffee table. Breakfast is staggered and TV is on, all other meals TV off. I eat at the table alone too (work from home)

Always sat on sofa in front of TV. Will eat at the table on a Friday night when having a drink.

We don't always eat at the same time but the kids (6 &3) they always eat at the table, we will be in the kitchen at the same time chatting to them. But DH isn't a fan or eating at the table, he didnt have to as a child, and chooses to eat in sitting room while I eat at the table or on the breakfast bar. From the little knowlage I have I would encourage eating at the table. The kids have to ask to leave the table and thank me or DH for thier dinner. He encourages this lots, even tho its not his background. We all eat every Sunday dinner at the table and talk about the weekend, best bits ect . I think DH is sad he never had that.

All family meals are always at dinner table apart from an occasional dessert. No phones etc are allowed at the table, no meals upstairs. Occasionally if dh or I are working we'll have breakfast/lunch at the desk/computer in the other room.

We have an open plan living room/dinning room and can see the telly from the table

Dinner at the table - can’t bear eating off trays ( I don’t mean I can’t bear other people doing it , I mean I find it awkward and unpleasant to do it myself) I also don’t like watching TV whilst eating. Maybe read the paper if having a solo sandwich lunch at the table. Our household eats breakfast at different times, and generally lunch too,except at the weekend, but dinner is usually together and at the table.

Never, ever. My mother would be horrified.

We eat at kitchen table every meal. Breakfast together, lunch we tend to all JSU gran our own things and eat separately but still at the table. Dinner was always together but tgat has been complicated by the arrival of DC3whose bedtime falls right in the middle of our usual dinner time. I usually now end up putting him to bed while DH eats with DC1 and 2. I’m hoping this is temporary though as I love eating as a family and think is good for all of us.

Although on Friday nights the big kids watch a movie and eat something like frozen pizza in front of it.

Madcat that made me laugh, I also came from a home where we ate very formally with the correct cutlery, glasses and silver napkin rings for every meal - around the table of course. Now I still eat every meal at the (kitchen) table, not quite so formal. But I have noticed that my parents, in their late 80s now frequently eat their meals from a tray in front of the TV

Breakfast, lunch and dinner all at the table, I think it’s nice for children to chat about their day, plus this way it means all the mess in contained in one room!

I remember my friend's mother being horrified to learn we always ate dinner in front of the TV instead of at the table. Her comment was "But when do you talk to each other". I found that very strange, we didn't need a dinner table in the middle of us to have a conversation as a family.

We don't have one. Come to think of it I've never lived in a house-share that had one!