If you have teens, what time do you all eat dinner/ supper?

[LesFlamandes]

We have (lovely!) friends staying with their three teen boys at the moment. Comparing notes, she likes to have everyone fed and the kitchen cleared by 6pm. I know her boys often head out to activities after that or do later homework. I’m very impressed by her organisational skills, but we never eat before 7-8pm (DH home at 7.45 3 nights a week so then it’s 8.) We tend to cook from scratch, and there is ‘gouter’ for hungry teens when they get in from school (both my own and any randoms that turn up.) DC13 and 15 have generally done after school clubs/ sports/ music practice/ homework/ tutoring by supper time and we love to just flop and relax with TV, games or hobbies (expect one evening when DD and I go to choir practice at 8.)

I’m just being nosey and wondering what other people do to manage the dinner time juggle.

5.30pm/6pm

Between 6.30 to 8.30pm depending on what's going on that night.

Lots of much slimmer healthier countries eat later than we do. It's a bit tricky to eat at 5 or 6 if you work full time during the day.

6.30 - 7pm. However secondary school here runs from 7.30 - 2.30pm so we wouldn't want to eat too late. DC are home by 6.

Interestingly I was reading about this yesterday in a Michael Mosley book.

Rather than giving an ideal time for meals he talked about the science recommending at least 3 hours between last meal and bedtime. Assuming you are following your body's normal wake/sleep pattern, your digestive system will start to slow down in the lead up to sleep time. Your body can't process blood sugar and blood lipids as efficiently once you're in nighttime mode so they'll stay higher for longer. Late meals or snacks can also deny your gut cells a chance to renew themselves before your next meal.

That's just his info I'm parroting back to you btw - don't come at me if you don't like it!

That could make sense. Me and DH eat at 8ish and aren't in bed before 11/12 anyway. DS eats very early at the childminders at 4:30! That will change when he starts school though

I have a French mother so grew up eating gouter and then having our meal later.

Over the years I have trained dh who used to merrily have food on the table by 5.30.

These days we eat anywhere between 6 and 9 depending on what's going on after school. Most days during the week we eat separately anyway due to 2 teens and 1 pre teen all having multiple, different hobbies. If someone went be back until late then did might be ready around 6 for them to eat before they go and then they others ready later. Other times most eat around 7.30 and then stragglers heat a plate up an hour later when they get in.

I aim for 7.30 on a “normal” night, but it ends up being a bit later a lot of the time. If one of the DC has an activity, it might be a bit later so that we can all eat together when she’s back.

I have a preteen (and a young primary age dc) and we eat 7-8pm. I might feed one of them at 6:30 if they are leaving for an activity in the evening.

But in my experience, all dc’s friends seem to eat like 5-6pm. We are those horrible parents who never feed anyone’s children when they are at ours, because dinner isn’t ready before they leave. We are too busy to eat earlier.

Anything from 5 through to about 9.30 depending on activities etc