Do you let your dc eat in their bedrooms?

[RibenaSky]

Or always at the table? Or a combination
Just wondering what others do about this

They dont like the table but I dont like crumbs/food etc in bedrooms
Ages 10 and 12
Tia

My kids have never asked. I suppose I may bring some toast if they’re ill but DH and I don’t eat upstairs either (or in the living room).
It’s also quite rude if you’ve made a meal for someone to eat it elsewhere.
I don’t want the mess elsewhere either - kitchens are easy to clean and carpets/sofas not easy.

We've never been very successful at eating together at a table. I've tried it a time or two but it was awful and none of us enjoyed it.

My two grab something or cook something and eat in their rooms. They're adults now but it's been this way for years.

We are in a minority I know but for us eating is not a social thing or family time. It's purely to deal with hunger. Eating in a bedroom is no different to eating in a living room or dining room. It's still food on a plate. They don't tip it onto the floor and lick it up.

Re crumbs in their rooms - not my problem. I don't go in their rooms. They sort it out themselves.

Yes. I often bring DD (17) breakfast in bed at the weekend.

We normally eat together in the kitchen in the evening but when DC had GCSEs and A Levels they ate in their rooms if working

Proper meals were always at the table, but otherwise no strict rule. That’s why I would find bowls with Ready Brek dried on like cement in teen dds’ bedrooms.

Mine can have snacks & drinks in their rooms, both teenagers now but I’ve always been relaxed about it. We have most family meals at the table but teenage son & gf will have a takeaway in his room on a weekend. Can’t imagine asking them to eat it at the dining table! They’re pretty good at cleaning up after themselves. We have a dog that hoovers up any crumbs anyway!

No, meals are at the table, or in the kitchen, or in the garden when the weather is nice, friends of mine have said how have you not got sticky handprints all over your sofa yet, the answer is that I don't allow DS to eat sticky things on the sofa.... The odd rice cake or apple slices or something if we're watching a film but that's not often. DH and I occasionally eat on the sofa if we're not eating with DS (nursery day he has dinner there) but only if it's something easy to eat. I prefer a table. We did all have breakfast in bed (mine and DH's, just toast) a couple of mornings when we all had Covid last year and felt like death. Even then DS said it was a very special treat, which made me feel a bit guilty.

All main meals eaten at the table, together as far as possible, but as they grew through their teens, and needed an extra 14 meals a day or so it seemed they could take those extra snacks into their rooms.

Tea is always downstairs together but breakfast, lunch and snacks is anywhere. I have strange kids though - they take pride in their rooms and keep them clean and tidy! No idea where they learnt that as it certainly wasn’t from me 😂

no, all meals are at the table in our house.

They do sneak snacks upstairs though.

No food in bedrooms rule here - although I turn a blind eye to cereal bars etc.

Under 13 no food upstairs. Over 13 eat it where you want (about 1/2 up and 1/2 down) but make sure the plates are in the dishwasher the same evening.

One DD does and one DD doesn't

@BettyUnderswoob

Always at the table, except for Saturday night when we have pizza in front of the telly as a treat. NEVER in bedrooms. I think dinner should be a family time.

Same^^

Breakfast in bed for birthdays.
All other meals and snacks at the table.

I don't even allow snacks in bedrooms

Yes. I'm not thrilled about it, but lockdown was the kiss of death, somehow with not wanting to be trapped in a house, constantly bitching at a teenager.

We eat our evening meal together at the table as a family - but DS also frequently helps himself to food/snacks and disappears back up to his room with them.

No way, meals at the table, crisps/fruit etc allowed in the other room. Eating in a bedroom gives me a depressing student vibe.

Majority of mealtimes eaten in bedrooms. Just me and DD 8. She has suspected ASD and really needs to have space to herself after school (as do I after work). We eat out and join extended family meals with no problems IE like PP she knows how to behave at the table.

We usually have brunch at the weekend at the table and I lay it all nicely as well as a roast on Sunday but in the week it's usually bedroom. It's only the two of us and works for us. Spend so much time together I'm not sure what we'd talk about over dinner 🤣

Food is not allowed upstairs in our house.
We eat at the table or on the sofa in the kitchen

Actual meals take place at the table except obviously barbecues and the VERY occasional TV pizza

On the settee or upstairs: fruit, sweets, biscuits, drinks, cake or ice cream if I'm doling it out while they're doing something up there.

Never had any problem with them returning the crocks. Only once had an abandoned apple core. Sweet wrappers got left a bit.

Not when they were small, but 19 year old DS does now as he eats at odd times and I can’t be arsed with enforcing glowering young adults round the table for the sake of it. He often cooks his own meals so I’m pretty relaxed about it.

Room and sofa are both options for eating, “mild” ASD and sometimes needs the break. Reasonable food choices have to be made. Some meals are table only because of the mess factor.

I have two with ASD, ds always eats in his room, dd eats in her room if there is anyone other than me at the table with her. Sensory issues make it uncomfortable for them. They are both pretty fastidious though so plates and glasses are brought down the minute they have finished eating and no food is ever left in their rooms

Never ever in their bedrooms but in fairness that's probably one of our very few standards. Most of my parenting would make MN as a whole pearl clutch like no tomorrow. I can just see it as a slippery slope that I am far too lazy to turn them back from in their teens. So easier to have a blanket rule of no food upstairs at all. (With the exception of the chocolate gold coins left by the pirates every so often but in my defence if they still believe that at 15 I have bigger problems)