Do you watch tv while eating dinner?

[AngryBird6122]

We do.
Our table is in our living room and we can see the tv from the table(it's quite a big room) although I tend to eat on my lap on the sofa (dc have to sit at table)
eg yesterday we all watched Wednesday - probably not the ideal dining company as it was a gruesome episode!

Meals always at the table, a good time for us to talk as a family, and one of the only times we are all together.

As with some others on here, we will have an occasional takeaway while watching tv. Or living room picnics when the DC were younger. Actually picnic rug on the floor and easy snacky food.

Why on earth do you sit on the sofa whilst insisting your children sit at the table ?

Very rarely indeed
we sit down together

We always eat at the kitchen table, except for Christmas when we eat in the dining room (that was commandeered as a home office during COVID and the table is still often used as a desk). I’ll sometimes have crisps and wine watching the TV.

Our dining table is in the living room so we eat at the table but the TV is usually on.

Rarely. I was brought up to eat dinner at the table (in a dining room with no distractions). For me sitting at the table and actually having a conversation is important and it matters.

If we’re eating with the children, absolutely not. We sit down at the table together (well, the children and I do, DH is often working!) but if it’s just DH and I for whatever reason, it’s 50/50 whether we eat at the table or on the sofa watching tv. Depends how ‘people-y’ we’re feeling 😂 I grew up in a strict table household and while my parents did a lot wrong, that was absolutely the right choice and I think that it’s important to have that relatively uninterrupted family time.

We always eat at a table - in the dining room in the colder months and in the conservatory when it’s warmer. We’ve got TVs in both rooms so watch if there’s something we want to see.

Typically no. We eat mostly every meal at the table with our six year old (she’s the only child). Maybe once a week my husband and I will have what we call “adult tea” where we eat after our daughter has gone to bed (nights where she’s been out a Rainbows for example so she eats before my husband gets home from work rather than with us. If we’re having “adult tea” then we usually do eat off trays in front of the tv. This is once a week though and we’ve never ate while watching TV with our daughter.

No, we eat as a family at the table without the tv on and chat. TV after dinner for the kiddies whilst we tidy up.

Pre-kids we would probably do tv/lap dinner 2-3x a week (take away on the weekend etc) but they rest of the time at the table.

I am actually shocked so many people say they usually eat dinner in front of the TV. My kids are 10 and 7 and I can think of one occasion where we got Dominoes pizza and ate it in front of the TV - it is always at the dining table or in the garden (at a table) if warm. We do sometimes have popcorn after dinner (for ‘pudding’) in front of a film. It is not something I ever see or have seen happening except when I watched the Royale Family - I honestly associated it with dysfunctional/underclass families so this thread has really challenged my view! It is funny how different people are - I also remember being shocked that some families spend Christmas Day in their PJs, instead of dressing up, which was also something I learnt from Mumsnet. I suppose other people of my acquaintance might do this but I just don’t know because we don’t discuss it and, if we go over for dinner, they wouldn’t do it!

No I hate eating on my lap.. eat at dining table sometimes with radio on

Underclass families!

I’m on my own now so I don’t have any standards to uphold now 🤣. But if (adult) DD is round for dinner we eat at the table, telly off. If I’m by myself, dinner is on the sofa, telly on. No-one can see me, so I don’t care.

Only if I am by myself. The kids aren't allowed this so if we are eating as a family it's at the table.

Always sat up to table with the TV off and no phones. Even if the DC were not around for any reason DH and I would still sit up to the table to eat with no screens. I know it is personal preference but it seems so anti social to have a screen on when eating. I do wonder if this is why some DC don't struggle when we go out to eat, they don't need a screen to keep them entertained because they are used to sitting and having a conversation while they eat and waiting for others to finish before they get down. Even if they are the only ones eating due to clubs they would still sit at the table.

Yes...I'm currently living with my mum and there's a TV in the open plan kitchen dining room. Usually watch the Chase when I get home from work then, when that's finished, DD gets her fix of Peppa Pig - we're not glued to it like zombies though. We talk as well.

I grew up watching TV in the kitchen at dinner time as well...but we ate dinner at different times - me, my dad and brother ate straight after school (between 4-4.30pm then my mum ate hers when she got home from work (around 5pm).

Takeaways (when we had them) were eaten in the living room watching TV as well.
No TV on during special occasion meals like Christmas/New Year/Birthdays etc.

As a general rule we sit at the dining table, there's no tv in the room.
We always listen to music whilst we eat, but that's mostly because ds2 has misophonia and can't stand eating noises!
As an occasional treat, usually a winter weekend evening when the fire is lit, we'll have a 'TV dinner'. It's still called that in our house from when the dcs were little and we'd sometimes do it on a Friday night (usually pizza, a film and red wine for the grown ups)

No, we either eat at the kitchen table or in the dining room and there’s no TV in either of those rooms.
To be honest we only really watch TV when there’s something in particular we want to watch anyway, which tends to be weekend evenings when the kids are in bed.

What's an "underclass family", exactly? Do enlighten us.

Yes every night. My daughter and I will sit around a low table and eat and watch something good together then retreat to the sofa for a snuggle. Happy times!

Do you even realise how offensive you’re being here? Underclass? As in ‘less good’ than others?

Anyway, I never eat at the table unless it’s a dinner party, I am a high earning, professional, urban, solid middle-classer.

No, because we don't have a TV downstairs (plus it's a very bad habit). Always listen to Radio 4 during dinner.

Totally hypocritically I’m more shocked at the people who sit at the table but then have the TV on. That feels worse than having a TV dinner.

Why do you think listening to a radio is ‘better’ than watching the TV?