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What do you do whilst you're eating?

117 replies

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 05/02/2025 17:12

I usually eat my 5pm dinner with dd at the table whilst the chase is on

As its cold, we're spending out time in my bedroom where it's warmer so we just eat on the bed with trays

Otherwise I always eat whilst watching tv

I'm trying to avoid the tv as much as poss except for love island and eastenders so now I'm sat listening to the radio whilst 'eating mindfully' for my weight loss 🙄 with dd on her tablet

It feels so weird as I used to always pair eating and watching tv - i do think that's where the weight gain comes from as I'd need food to watch a good show

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Boomer55 · 05/02/2025 17:15

My late DH and I used to turn all the gadgets off and just talk, 👍😊

HappyBirlingDay · 05/02/2025 17:17

Sit together with no devices and chat. Much better than eating in front of the TV.

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 05/02/2025 17:19

I should say that dd asd and is pre verbal at 5

We talk all the time but during dinner time, it's me talking at her and she hates it

We have the chase on in the background usually but today she's got the tablet as I'm tired

But if it's just me, it's weird without the tv

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HippeePrincess · 05/02/2025 17:19

We sit at the dining table in the kitchen, even when we didn’t have a kitchen diner we always turned the TV off as it was always considered bad manners in my family watching TV and eating. No phones at the table either. We talk about the day and any evening plans.

MySpringBreath · 05/02/2025 17:20

We sit at the table for almost all meals, with music or the radio on in the background so we can still talk to each other over the meal. It's always been this way even when DC were babies.

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 05/02/2025 17:23

And if you're alone? I only eat one meal with dd every evening but otherwise I eat by myself

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muddyford · 05/02/2025 17:25

At the table, unless it's just sandwiches. When I am eating alone I read or listen to R4, or peruse MN.

shellyleppard · 05/02/2025 17:25

I try and make sure gadgets/TV is off and talk to my sons

SpringBunnyHopHop · 05/02/2025 17:26

I talk to my teenager.

Food isn’t alllowed upstairs. Eating in bed sounds gross to me, I wouldn’t be able to settle at bed time 😆

HippeePrincess · 05/02/2025 17:27

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 05/02/2025 17:23

And if you're alone? I only eat one meal with dd every evening but otherwise I eat by myself

Gosh I don’t remember the last time I ate alone, when I was a single mum I didn’t actually have a TV so that wasn’t on. Still used to eat with the kids though.

WoahThreeAces · 05/02/2025 17:28

By myself, always in front of the telly. With the kids, 2/3 nights a week round the table, no phones allowed, no music or radio so we can chat. Other nights a mix of table, sofa, out and about, or sandwiches in bedrooms.
Sunday nights always dinner in front of the TV, all of us.

hjfoau · 05/02/2025 17:29

Dining table in kitchen, no tv on. It's important to me, couldn't imagine eating dinner on my bed every day? I don't think it is a healthy habit tbh.

buttercupcake · 05/02/2025 17:31

At the table, no gadgets / tv, talking to each other.

On Mondays I feed the kids first and then eat later with my husband. We eat on the sofa with the telly on, but still end up chatting.

Completelyjo · 05/02/2025 17:34

Really depends, weekend eat early at the table with the kids and DH. Then once or twice a week DH and I will eat together with a glass of wine, then we might eat while watching a show another 2 nights and then eat separately depending on evening commitments.

frozendaisy · 05/02/2025 17:39

When ours were 5 and under, we ate at the table, music on the radio helps, R1 is usually quite happy, pop, fun music but there are numerous stations to pick from.

If you find you need "something else" with your daughter, because I could tell you what we do but we are a family of 4, now teens, so it's utterly irrelevant what we do, but if you want more 'mindful' (for want of a better word) dining time then bring something to the table, it could be a teddy which daughter "serves up a small plate" - think one pea one chip type thing. You can use teddies/dolls as props, "so does Mr Ted prefer the pea or the chip?"

Asking children their opinion on things that are irrelevant, chips and peas, or colours of t-shirts or songs on the radio, helps build their emotional confidence that their voice and opinion is important and they should be heard.

So we did lots of that. There are loads of books under the "would you rather" range, for all different ages, they are questions, would you rather have wings or a tail? type things, get one of those for the youngest age group and go through a question or two, with upbeat music in the background.

There are no right or wrong answers, you can tailor the questions and how you interact to your daughter's ability and comfort. You can do one question each night or several if you are having fun.

I really enjoyed the "debates" we all used to have when they were young, it was so entertaining hearing glimpses into how they saw things.

We have kept up versions of Would You Rather to this day, the questions are more complicated I guess now, and involve world events, feelings, politics even, but it's the same principle, open ended questions up for debate.

ViciousCurrentBun · 05/02/2025 17:41

TV, phones and reading are banned and dinner is always round the table.The exception is breakfast. DH and I read whilst eating breakfast and then have a news and weather chat.

If alone I will eat with the TV on or read it’s not that often.

mumonthehill · 05/02/2025 17:41

Eat at the table and no gadgets or tv ever. However we do often have pizza in front of the tv at the weekend. No food at all upstairs. I really enjoy our table chats. If I am on my own then I do like supper and a film.

TroysMammy · 05/02/2025 17:46

We sit at the kitchen table for main meal, no gadgets. I sit at the table for all meals. When my teenage niece comes over for dinner she knows it's no gadgets at the table in Auntie's house.

GiddyRobin · 05/02/2025 17:48

Dinner and lunch - at the table in the dining room. No gadgets or phones, so we just talk. We do always play music in the background though, always have done since I was young.

Breakfast time - at the table in the morning room. We have the radio on for this, usually Classic FM or Radio 4. Newspapers are fine and so are books if the kids want to read a bit. No phones.

Picnic meals we eat in the living room, either on the floor or on coffee tables.

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 05/02/2025 17:48

SpringBunnyHopHop · 05/02/2025 17:26

I talk to my teenager.

Food isn’t alllowed upstairs. Eating in bed sounds gross to me, I wouldn’t be able to settle at bed time 😆

Omg when I'd eat alone, dinner in bed, followed by hardboard, with a new episode of and just like that was heaven

I miss it already, just ate the tiniest carb free meal listening to radio one 🥺

OP posts:
WattleTyler · 05/02/2025 17:48

At the table or island. Chat. No TV, no devices.

I think it’s particularly important that children are not parked in front of either when they eat.

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 05/02/2025 17:50

HippeePrincess · 05/02/2025 17:27

Gosh I don’t remember the last time I ate alone, when I was a single mum I didn’t actually have a TV so that wasn’t on. Still used to eat with the kids though.

When she goes to bed I usually have a small carb free meal

I used to have carbs and tv so now I'm sans both terribly enjoyable things 🙃

OP posts:
Futurename · 05/02/2025 17:50

In front of the TV usually while watching House of Games.

familyissues12345 · 05/02/2025 17:52

If I was eating on my own I'd have the TV on. If there was more than just me, we'd usually be sat at the table chatting - we have teenagers/young adults, it's the only time they really talk!

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 05/02/2025 17:52

frozendaisy · 05/02/2025 17:39

When ours were 5 and under, we ate at the table, music on the radio helps, R1 is usually quite happy, pop, fun music but there are numerous stations to pick from.

If you find you need "something else" with your daughter, because I could tell you what we do but we are a family of 4, now teens, so it's utterly irrelevant what we do, but if you want more 'mindful' (for want of a better word) dining time then bring something to the table, it could be a teddy which daughter "serves up a small plate" - think one pea one chip type thing. You can use teddies/dolls as props, "so does Mr Ted prefer the pea or the chip?"

Asking children their opinion on things that are irrelevant, chips and peas, or colours of t-shirts or songs on the radio, helps build their emotional confidence that their voice and opinion is important and they should be heard.

So we did lots of that. There are loads of books under the "would you rather" range, for all different ages, they are questions, would you rather have wings or a tail? type things, get one of those for the youngest age group and go through a question or two, with upbeat music in the background.

There are no right or wrong answers, you can tailor the questions and how you interact to your daughter's ability and comfort. You can do one question each night or several if you are having fun.

I really enjoyed the "debates" we all used to have when they were young, it was so entertaining hearing glimpses into how they saw things.

We have kept up versions of Would You Rather to this day, the questions are more complicated I guess now, and involve world events, feelings, politics even, but it's the same principle, open ended questions up for debate.

I like this idea of having a teddy have dinner with us - it might have to be her spider man doll but will try it out

I do talk to her every dinnertime about the food but obviously as she has asd and isn't verbal yet, I don't get a response. Tbh she isn't a fan of my chat 🙈

That said she can name foods so I'm pleased we've got there bless her

OP posts: