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Original poster

Do you and your family eat dinner around a table ?

238 replies

Nicebitofsquirrell · 23/03/2023 16:13

Meal times have changed a lot in the last decade I think, parents are working longer hours, kids are doing more evening activities and the ides of eating around the table and talking about your day seems very foreign to a lot of children. It's not uncommon for primary age children to have never eaten at a table before and they've said they eat on a sofa with the telly on.

Do you and your family regularly eat around a table and discuss your day without a TV or radio on?

I used to really enjoy it when I was younger and when we stopped because of work patterns it made it much easier for me to hide my ED as no one was watching my food intake.

It's definitely something I want to bring to my family

OP posts:
ForestofBears · 23/03/2023 21:18

Yes. 2 nights a week I am at work at dinner time and DC sit at someone else’s table, but otherwise I almost always insist we sit at the table for dinner with no phones for that little bit of time together.

ilovebagpuss · 23/03/2023 21:21

No we used to when they were younger and we still do for sunday lunches or special meals.
However truthfully most evenings we don't. Both my DD's feel it's a bit forced to sit and talk when they are tired from school.
However we do sit and talk a lot as a family and socialise together in the evening when we dissect the day.
They also know the table manners required if needed and if we eat out.
We don't do breakfast so that's out.
I like that lots of people do though and I do think it's important if possible when little and up to early mid teens.

TheClitterati · 23/03/2023 21:22

I grew up eating in front of tv (70's/80's).

The Dc and I eat at the table every night - we talk about our days every night. I love it and agree it's very important.

When the Dc were younger they had dinner at the childminders- but we moved out of london, had a change of pace in our lives, and have been eating at the table nightly for 5 years now.

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Families
nannyl · 23/03/2023 21:24

Yes
Breakfast is always me and my 2 children (9 and 11) and sometimes DH depending on early he has left for work.

(At school my children eat a hot dinner with their friends at a table)

At the weekend lunch is also a family occasion around the table

We pretty much always all eat our main evening meal together too.... maybe 1 night per month where all 4 of us dont sit down together to eat our dinner, and on those occasions we still all eat at the table, but maybe at a different time.

Generally food does not leave our kitchen, and absolultely never ever upstairs

mamaduckbone · 23/03/2023 21:27

We always have, even when the dc were little we didn't do separate kids' tea and adults' dinner.
Now ds17 is sometimes out or working but still several times a week and definitely if everyone is in.

mamaduckbone · 23/03/2023 21:28

And always no phones at the dinner table. We do always have music on as ds2 can't stand eating noises, but it's where we do most of our chatting.

Travelationjubilation · 23/03/2023 21:30

90% of the time we have dinner together at the table, everyone gets their own lunch and breakfast apart from on Sundays. All meals are eaten at the table though. I don’t allow anyone to eat a meal whilst sitting on the sofa and no food is allowed upstairs

Workinghardeveryday · 23/03/2023 21:31

We do every week day night. Saturday and Sunday lunchtime.

If we didn’t, we would never all be together everyday to talk about our days, ups and downs, we say closer that way

Lcb123 · 23/03/2023 21:33

Yes, DH and I always sit at the table and eat dinner together, if we’re both in, and usually lunch too. I can’t imagine doing anything else,‘it’s nice to chat about our days and it’s better for your eating habits I think

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 23/03/2023 23:35

For every evening meal, the only difference being if we have a takeaway we'd probably be eating off our knees in the living room. But still all together.

Breakfast and lunch normally a free for all, but like you I love the interaction at dinner time.

GymNewbie · 24/03/2023 00:11

Yep every day. All together 90%of the time. If not its kids earlier than us for various reasons on occasions

Theoldwoman · 24/03/2023 00:13

We are a family of four. DH works away during the week, DC are 21 and 20 with very busy schedules!

We eat together if we are eating at the same time.

mrsfollowill · 24/03/2023 00:22

We are 3 adults here- Me, DH and DS - all have full time jobs but have always had our tea round the dining room table six nights a week. We all have breakfast as and when - usually at work at lunchtime so all in different places- so it is really nice to have a meal together once a day.
Friday is pizza delivery night - we are still in the same room together but more relaxed on the sofa- a treat at the end of a long working week!

HollyBerri · 24/03/2023 00:29

We have always sat down and eaten together. I really enjoy it although its not exactly like the Walton’s it is s nice last of the day.

Angelonthewall · 24/03/2023 05:48

mrsfollowill · 24/03/2023 00:22

We are 3 adults here- Me, DH and DS - all have full time jobs but have always had our tea round the dining room table six nights a week. We all have breakfast as and when - usually at work at lunchtime so all in different places- so it is really nice to have a meal together once a day.
Friday is pizza delivery night - we are still in the same room together but more relaxed on the sofa- a treat at the end of a long working week!

We even eat pizza around the table - when the kids were younger they used to sit in the floor to eat pizza. It is such a nice thing - often we will sit on way past eating. Without eating around the table, I think we’d never chat as a family.

Crumpetdisappointment · 24/03/2023 06:03

always did

Username24680 · 24/03/2023 06:07

This is massively important to me!

I grew up in a house where we were made eat in our bedrooms. Mum & Dad ate in the livingroom with the tv on and each of us kids went to our rooms. I hated it. I absolutely LOVED going to friends houses and having a meal at the table! I remember a handful of christmases where we sat at the table (only ever if we had a guest) - the rest of the time it was bedrooms or infront of the TV.

I now have 1 DS and serve every meal at the table. DH works away from home for weeks at a time and I work PT so we have childcare that comes in on my work days while DH is away. I make it a rule for them too - they sit with DS at the table for meals. I don’t allow TV for DS anyway so it’s not on during the day but as he grows up and starts watching tv, it will 100% be off at meal times.

Occasionally DH and I might decide to have a takeaway once DS (toddler) goes to bed. We’d sit and the table with DS while he eats his dinner and we’d maybe have a cup of tea/piece of fruit or something. Then we might sit on the sofa and watch some tv with a takeaway but that’s maybe once a month or so.

garlictwist · 24/03/2023 06:09

I have really bad memories of eating round the table as a family with my dad barking orders about manners and just wanting to get it over with. Now I never eat at the table (although it's just me and DP, perhaps I would if we had kids). Just eat something on the sofa.

LolaSmiles · 24/03/2023 06:20

We do a mix depending on which meal it is and what we're eating.

Growing up we ate every meal at the table and it was more about being able to say "my children eat at the table all the time" with lots of unnecessary digs about families who didn't.

DC have great manners and we have lots of family conversation throughout the day, so I don't get hung up on the idea that you need to sit at a table every meal to talk as a family.

Makirocks23 · 24/03/2023 06:23

Yes, every meal around the table. Our children are 8 and 5 and we have always done it. No tv or toys at the table, we do sometimes have background music on. If the youngest has after school activities, the boys might have a quick tea but I still sit and talk to them.

it can be a bit of a battle some days, my eldest has additional needs, but as it’s the norm for us, I feel it makes going out to eat easier as the same rules apply. ( if it’s a long meal out, they may do some colouring before or after their meal)

DH and I did the same growing up so I think it is a natural progression for us.

Simplepink · 24/03/2023 06:38

We try to 50% if the time. I do think it’s a model that only suits certain families though. We have an only and when hubby works away and it’s just the 2 of us it seems a bit weird and formal to sit around a table

Badbudgeter · 24/03/2023 06:46

We eat at the table. I have a no food rule elsewhere. Often kids will eat whilst I potter. I don’t eat breakfast for example or we have to be back out the door for an activity but we talk about the day, plans etc. Honestly I think being able to sit at a table, eat nicely with appropriate cutlery and have a conversation with those around you is a life skill same as cycling. You teach it until it has become engrained and then it’s automatic.

Badbudgeter · 24/03/2023 06:50

I have a farmhouse kitchen with table in the middle so it’s not formal at all.

Stravawindow · 24/03/2023 06:51

Only at weekends. DH is in from work too late for us to eat together. The DC often eat when they come in from school as I take them straight back out for clubs. I’ll eat when I get back. Usually it’s 4 meals, all at different times and often different things.

Sunday we definitely eat together. Saturday depends on what’s on.

maddiemookins16mum · 24/03/2023 06:53

6/7 days a week for evening meal yes, always for Sunday dinner. No telly on but usually the radio on in the background. We have a pot of tea too (or jug of water in the really hot weather).