What do you do whilst you're eating?

[mumofoneAlonebutokay]

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

At the dining room table. Alone also at the dining room table. No TV in the dining room, just a 1950s wireless set.

@TanginaBarrons yeah, you got that right, patronising and judgmental, I agree.
TBH I read many of these smug posts in disbelief, that this is what really happens at so many dinner tables; dream on wishful thinkers.
I'd be inclined to be taking a big old pinch of salt with those dinners.

OP I agree also that you should do what works best for you and your DD. Good on you for taking time to think up ways to teach your DD about other cultures while you're sitting having a meal and relaxing together. Learning, together, should be fun and interesting for you both; you're going to do fine. Pay zero attention to those who made you feel 'weird'. A stupid, overused word on MN that means very little; consider the source, always.

My bed doubles as a sitting platform during the day, and that's where I eat too. I'd rather sit at a table, by myself or with others, but needs must. We all do the best we can with what we have.

I focus on the 🌶️🥬🥕🥦🍅🥒🍆🫛🌽🫒🥔🍠🥑🧄🧅🫚🥥🌱🌿🍇🍓🍋🍊🍉🍒🫐🍏🍌🍑🥭🍐😍😋🤗🙏

I really like sitting at the table and eating nice and slowly and chatting intently with several people.
But in reality I just eat in bed or on the couch, watching a movie or a streamed show.
I like to eat dinner at around 9pm. For me 5pm is lunchtime!

It’s my partner and me - we sit at the table, no devices, just eat and talk. If I’m on my own I’ll have my iPad at the table.

But if you include doll and have silly questions which you can communicate with her, via words, hand signals, drawings, you can build up a conversation confidence between yourselves.

it’s not going to be perfect or possibly even fun or useful to begin with.

But in our house, after much gentle persistence we found an easy flow (think in years not weeks!)

and there is nothing wrong if you eat alone after daughter is in bed eating in bed with tv on.

think I spent half my 20s living off peanut butter on toast in bed, it was easy quick, alas my older body demands more varied vitamins and minerals now, but they were easy, happy days!

All sit round the table, no tele on but radio or music usually is. Not every night with all of us due to shifts / late teens / social lures but every night we can

I live alone. I either scroll on my phone, watch YouTube or call my dad/one of my sisters. Tonight I called my dad

TBH I read many of these smug posts in disbelief, that this is what really happens at so many dinner tables; dream on wishful thinkers.
I'd be inclined to be taking a big old pinch of salt with those dinners.

Why would anyone bother to lie about their eating arrangements? If you believe OP and other posters who say they watch tv while eating why don’t you believe the ones saying they sit at a table and chat?

If I'm on my own eat with a book.

To be honest the cats usually come circling if they know I'm eating as they want some of it so there is cat tax to pay so I suppose it is not on my own.

With my family we have social rules and antisocial rules. The norm is talking but if people are really tired then we declare antisocial mealtime and everyone reads or watches stuff on their phone.

During lockdown I did the thing of cooking meals from different countries. I'd buy a German/greek/japanese cookbook and we'd try new foods. It did make mealtimes a bit more interesting.

My DD27 and I eat different meals but generally around the same time. We eat infront of the TV. I work long hours and it suits us. We just have background tv in and we usually chat about our day.

OP if you don't already, go sign up for a Library card at your local library. Then download the BorrowBox app. Its a free audiobook app, provided by the libraries.

You can then download free whole novels to listen to, usually the rental lasts about 2 weeks bit you can extend if you aren't through the audiobook in time.

I have a son with asd. He likes to watch tv during meals . I tend to put pointless on while I'm eating or I read.

If dh or dds are home we eat at the table no devices.

Same here, I'd love to dress the table with candles and cutlery and flowers

But dd would blow out each candle and sing happy birthday 😄😭

Then She'd take the flowers out of the vase and try sticking the cutlery in it to get them to swim

I've tried and it's been exhausting and we just need to get things done rather than done perfectly, imo

I feel like streaming and eating go hand in hand, just eat must make so much money off the back of netflix! X

There was a time when she was refusing even her safe foods! So there's some things where I take what I can get as a sen mum x

This could be good, having an audio book for her tbh - I could try one at bedtime as well, I just use music on low currently (one thing i did when she was a baby was have music on constantly, so she's okay with it thankfully)

She loves going to the library but we have to keep the trips short as she gets so excited for some reason and it's a struggle to keep the noise low, bless her 😅

I can't eat alone or with anyone else without background noise because I can't stand the sounds of people eating and cutlery on plates etc. So it's either the TV or music.

Thank you 🥰🥰

When I was pregnant I did imagine myself as a mum who's kid sits well at the table and eats excellently and did all the right things like the inspirational mums kids on Instagram

But it turns out I'm a mum who loves buying dd a new sensory toy and a snack from b&m and somehow provides an endless stream of chicken nuggets and who's dd loves Bradley Walsh

I've made my peace with it 🤭 - we'll get her where she needs to be 🥰

The sound of lots of people just eating is quite intense tbh, there needs to be something else, at the very least flowing conversation

My dd loves her safe food and makes appreciative noises like Gordon Ramsey made them for her himself 😭

I've got physical issues, disabilities, and fatigue from those.
You wouldn't know if you knew me/met me because I mask and I'm only in front of people when I'm doing ok.

I eat most of my meals in bed, often scrolling my phone.
I have a dining table with a great upright comfortable chair with arms to support my body, but it's still exhausting to sit in it.
I WFH and mealtimes are my 'down time' so I need to rest and eat.

I have a young child, when they get home we eat at the table together, on occasion with the iPad watching something grown up like pointless, but mostly just chatting. I'm absolutely done by 6 when we eat, so DC does most of the talking, it's very tiring being the listener!

I feel for you op, I'm a lone parent but my child is chatty and eats well so mealtimes are pleasant, it's still a million miles from how I grew up and how I would have like my own family life to be like, but we are where we are.

You're going your best, everyone is an individual and so are families, I think people who's lives aren't touched by ND or disabilities/health issues are so blissfully unaware that life doesn't quite fall into place for those whose lives are impacted by the above.

When my little one was young I was told by a friend to read aloud while they ate, it distracts them enough to keep chomping, didn't work for me and my kid, but I can see it's a good way to keep the interaction going without being too draining. Doesn't just have to be kids books, can be anything, cereal boxes etc etc

My cat is the same the cheeky girl 🤭

That's nice that you have that understanding - at home, it's just want to feel safe as the world can be exhausting x

I'm obsessed with Brazil right now so I'll see what I can try from their cuisine

My DP and I tend to watch TV whilst eating. If we’re hosting, or on special occasions however, then we’ll eat at the dining table.

It’s just habit now!

Me and my daughter eat with a good programme we’ve selected to watch (not mindless rubbish). We talk a lot, good old in depth convos all the time so this 1/2 hour rating in front of the TV doesn’t worry me in the slightest. We enjoy it a lot.

This. Always at the dining table. Sometimes we have music on. Absolutely no devises during meals.

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

@HappyBirlingDay why? If you talk at other times why is this a sacred time! I prefer to talk when I’m not eating dinner after a long day at work.