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Original poster

What time do you have dinner?

138 replies

spookehtooth · 24/10/2023 22:30

I've always aimed for around 7:30pm, so mostly that time but it can be later.

I've inherited this time from growing up, and assumed its probably quite normal, but I've never really done any kind of survey like I do for other things, hence this thread.

A follow up question is: What time did you have dinner growing up in your parents house?

OP posts:
Snugglemonkey · 24/10/2023 23:26

We used to eat at 5, in my family home but that is not possible for us now. When we were 2, we ate at 7/7.30, but that also is not possible with the children. We aim for 6, but it is sometimes more 6.30. Dc1 is sometimes sitting at the table, cutlery in hand 🙈 but it is his activities that we are working around!

Clingfilm · 24/10/2023 23:30

Eating at 8? 9?! I've got pyjamas on by then watching telly with a cup of tea, bed at half ten ish.

How can you all go so long between lunch and tea? When do people manage to watch all these box sets (not me) if they're cooking well into the evening?

I finish work at 5 so food is normally ready 6-6.30. Tea was around 5.15 growing up, after news round as I recall!

Is this another class signifier to do with manual workers in the family? 😄

jazzybelle · 24/10/2023 23:33

Between 6&7pm.

SummerInSun · 24/10/2023 23:55

I also regard 7:30pm as the "right" time to eat dinner. 5pm just seems weird to me, but then I work an office job and normal hours is to finish around 6pm.

Our DCs eat at 6pm and we used to eat after they were in bed so it slipped to 8pm and then 8:30pm as they got older. Now they still eat at 6pm as they are hungry (nanny cooks for them) and we eat at 7:30pm before reading them stories and doing light out.

SummerInSun · 24/10/2023 23:57

Clingfilm · 24/10/2023 23:30

Eating at 8? 9?! I've got pyjamas on by then watching telly with a cup of tea, bed at half ten ish.

How can you all go so long between lunch and tea? When do people manage to watch all these box sets (not me) if they're cooking well into the evening?

I finish work at 5 so food is normally ready 6-6.30. Tea was around 5.15 growing up, after news round as I recall!

Is this another class signifier to do with manual workers in the family? 😄

But you don't go from lunch to dinner at 7:30pm without food. I don't know anyone who does that. Kids have an after school snack, and in my office everyone tends to make toast or have fruit or yoghurt sometime between 4-5pm (and someone usually goes out and buys a bag of chocolate buttons and leaves them in the work kitchen for everyone but that's not so good!).

theduchessofspork · 24/10/2023 23:58

About 8

My parents ate at this time, when we were little we ate earlier, then as teens we ate with them.

Lizzieregina · 25/10/2023 00:01

6.30pm if we’re home. Almost always. Around 7 if we go out.

As a child, I had dinner as soon as I got in from school so probably around 4.30. We were always starving!

Splishsplashsplooshsplosh · 25/10/2023 00:02

Wow I couldn't imagine eating at 5. We usually eat about 8ish (I try and aim for 7.30 but DH usually isn't home.by then. Kids are almost 9 (twins)

theduchessofspork · 25/10/2023 00:03

Clingfilm · 24/10/2023 23:30

Eating at 8? 9?! I've got pyjamas on by then watching telly with a cup of tea, bed at half ten ish.

How can you all go so long between lunch and tea? When do people manage to watch all these box sets (not me) if they're cooking well into the evening?

I finish work at 5 so food is normally ready 6-6.30. Tea was around 5.15 growing up, after news round as I recall!

Is this another class signifier to do with manual workers in the family? 😄

Well most people I know eat something at 4.30ish / tea time at work (yogurt or fruit or whatever)

I would snack all night if I ate at 6.30!

Boxset watching is 8.30 or 9…

JellyfishandShells · 25/10/2023 00:04

7 most days - 8 on the weekend: children grown up and not living here. Probably about 6 growing up, though also later at the weekend.

mondaytosunday · 25/10/2023 00:04

Now 6.30-7. My daughter only eats dinner so no later. Also I'm doing 16:8 so need to start the fast period!
When my husband was alive we ate around 8pm as he got home from work around then.

404usernotfound · 25/10/2023 00:06

9ish

Ejismyf · 25/10/2023 00:11

5.30 - 6. My husband has a physical job (so is too hungry to have it later) and has his own company, so the two days I'm in the office and not working from home and finish at 4.45 (local council job), he finishes earlier and is making it when I get home, which takes ten minutes. On the days I work from home, Il start it when I finish. I think it can depend on your demographic - people in London tend to be later if working in the city as it can take so long to get home.

With regards to people saying they'd be starving if they had dinner earlier. In the evening il have a cup of tea about 8pm and also had a tangerine and some salmon mousse I'd made on crackers this evening about 9. You can have a snack in the evening too.

ElizaMulvil · 25/10/2023 00:26

1pm

2023shady · 25/10/2023 00:38

Live alone so it varies between 5-7pm mostly
I finish work, exercise then cook

tenpoundpombear · 25/10/2023 00:39

Could be any time between 8 and 11pm, the kids tend to eat about 7.30/8

I don't know if it's relevant but I'm from a Mediterranean country and grew up eating later too.

I don't even get home from work till about 6.30, how are people eating so early!?

MinnieL · 25/10/2023 00:42

6 on the dot growing up. I am for the same with my two toddlers but often they end up eating at 7

MinnieL · 25/10/2023 00:43

ElizaMulvil · 25/10/2023 00:26

1pm

You have dinner at 1pm?

Mumof3girlsandaboy · 25/10/2023 00:59

our dinner is 5:30pm as I work night shifts and we like to sit together and eat together

Girasoli · 25/10/2023 07:01

We had dinner around 7pm growing up.

We have dinner anytime between 6.30-7.30 now.

(DC are 3 and 7 but have tea at nursery/a big afterschool snack).

MyCircumference · 25/10/2023 07:05

about 7 30 830
home at 6
walk dog
just me and dh

growing up i think probably 7 ish not sure

Jojoanna · 25/10/2023 07:10

Around 5-6 ,, but I would prefer dinner at 2ish and a snack later. Rarely happens though

MariaVT65 · 25/10/2023 07:14

Have young DC so between 5.30 and 6 currently.

Going to visit my mum and her partner is a battle as they can’t cope with the thought of eating dinner so early.

olderbutwiser · 25/10/2023 07:15

6:30 ish. No kids. I would prefer later, he would prefer earlier, we’ve got used to the compromise.

mrssunshinexxx · 25/10/2023 07:17

5/5.15pm with the kids as don't want to cook twice, like to eat together for social reasons and I also fast so finishing eating for the day that early works well