to think it is just not necessary to have a dining table anymore?

[LDNmummy]

Traditionally it has always been the look of a good home to have a dining table, preferably with its own area/ room in a house for family gatherings.

But, with modern life as it is, I just don't think it is necessary to have one anymore, unless of course you genuinely use it at least once a week. But do most families anymore?

I don't know many families who still go through the process of sitting around the dining table every weekend let alone every day, possibly for the fact that it is a little extra effort people are not as formal about anymore and sitting together doesn't have to be around a table but even just in the living room watching the telly together IYSWIM.

Plus, houses are not always big enough to accomodate a large family sized table and some may just feel it isnt worth the hassle to cram one in.

I also think this about the large cabinets that traditionally housed all a households fine dining wear that would come out on special occasions.

Aren't these bulky pieces of furniture that take up lots of space and are rarely used outdated now except with older people?

My MIL has a six seater table in the living room that could easily fit eight diners but is used properly about once a year. Half the reason for that is that it is too big and has to be crammed against a wall so isnt convenient to sit around daily or even weekly anyway. She also has a very large display cabinet full of her best dining wear wich is only used when special guests such as family travelling from abroad are visiting, which is rarely.

She is about 60 and in her eyes these two items of furniture are essential to beautify a home as well as for practical reasons, which IMO is questionable. My DM and all the older women in my family feel the same way.

But isnt this just all outdated and unecessary faff a house can do without in a time when people are no longer as formal when it comes to situations such as dining?

We eat at the dining table in our kitchen for nearly every meal.
We also have an extendable dining table in the front room which can seat six which is useful when we have people round. We play board games on this table and work st it too.
We also have a garden table useful for when we have people round.
I never eat off my lap. We could get rid of the larger dining table and wouldn't miss it too much everyday, but I would never lose the kitchen one.

Argh - zombie read. That will teach me not to read the date at the start of a thread!

We use our table every day, where would you feed a small child if you don't have a table? Even when we lived in a small studio pre kids we had a small fold up table. Admittedly we don't have a dining room, very few houses in our entire town do but when we were looking for a new house one of our criteria was that it needed to be able to fit a table in the kitchen or that the living room was big enough to have a table in the corner. Surprisingly difficult to find in a two bed in our area. I have no idea how people cope without one.

No doubt the OP has made a decision at some point in the last 5 years?

I like the idea of the zombie-resurrecting airconditioning fanatic taking all furniture out of her home and replacing it with more and more aircon units. In chilly Blackburn.

And whether in 2011 or now, not having a table reminds me of the Stewart Lee line "we couldn't go back to our cushions and our trough".

I always sit at the table for meals, (clear a space - sewing m/c) only ever eat a sandwich/yoghurt/snack on the settee in front of the telly if there's something on at what I call 'tea-time'. Late DH always did too - said he was grateful as he couldn't bear a plate on his lap which is what he had to put up with at his mother's.

Speaking of whom, MIL never sits at table and thought we were strange for doing so - accused me of being posh. Even something slurpy like soup is eaten in her fireside chair (with inevitable dribbles on blouse). She only eats Christmas dinner at a table, someone else's now. Each to their own.

I TOTALLY agree about those stupid and pointless display cabinets but I vehemently disagree about the dining table. Apart from anything lose they double as a desk, sewing machine bench, homework/ project surface! laundry sorting area and general all-purpose place to dump stuff.

You can't ( or at least shouldn't) eat Xmas dinner off a tray on your lap (unless you live in seriously overcrowded or impoverished circumstances) and don't you ever have family or friends over to eat? Ever?

I think there's always something a bit off and a bit wrong about going into a house with no dining table. It smacks of being uncivilized and caring far too much about the telly.

Else not lose

My sister doesn't have a dining table.., I always find it strange.
We use ours every day at least twice, breakfast, tea and homework or games. It's probably the most used bit of furniture in the house.

Gosh, I can't imagine not having a dining table. Breakfast everyday, dinner everyday (we will often have lunch in the lounge on laps unless it is messy), it is used for homework for dd1 and I use it for studying at. It is used for crafts for the girls and for baking with the girls as there is room for 3 of us to be around it (it is in the kitchen/diner). I would be lost without the dining table.

Yes, I know it's a ZOMBIE THREAD but it really doesn't matter. It's not as if the OP is asking whether to take a child to A&E or something.

I think the Zombie Thread Reviver works for an AC company 😁

Anyway, tables... I prefer to sit on the settee with my dinner, curled up, one bowl type meals that I prefer to eat. I don't eat meat so don't tend to have meals that require gravy or difficult things being cut up. Some call it uncouth, I call it comfortable 😊

However, with children I'd hate not to have a table. Little mess monsters!

Plus tables are great for a million other things already stated - painting, homework, sewing, board games...all kinds of things.

But each to their own.

People would do well to drop the judgemental crap as well, there's no need for it.

When we didn't have a table we were perfectly civilised and rarely watched the TV thanks very much.

sauvignon Blanche Your boring is somebody elses highlight of the day! Let them revel in dining table debate 5 yrs old or not!

Only DS and Imin our house, but we have a dining table (with 6 chairs). We eat every meal at the table. I also have a rule of no TV, phones or tablets at meal times. Its our time to eat together and catch up on our day.

We don't have a display cabinet (think I'm a bit young for one of those - it's what my Gran has). Everything stored in the kitchen cupboards.

I couldn't do without my table or the wooden floors, as DS still drops food every where. We don't eat meals in the lounge, as I like to keep it clean and preserve my carpets. It can't be good for digesting food though to be curled up on a sofa?

You're quiet right happyinthehaze, heaven knows why I was being so miserable?
I swear Zombie threads are more prevalent on a Sunday but sometimes everyday is like Sunday.

We have a kitchen/diner so our dining table is a large wooden kitchen table. It's lovely and solid wood, I like it very much and we use it every day. We very rarely eat in the living room. I can't imagine not sitting down with my family to eat of an evening or to enjoy a nice brunch on a Sunday morning.

I'd say because life can be rushed it's more important to eat together as a family and catch up with what's going on for them ?
We use ours for breakfast everyday and each evening as well as lunch time at weekends . Eating is about love and connection to me really and I think I'd be lost without a dining table . I also sew on it . Ds plays cards with pals and dd does homework on it .

We usually eat our meals around a table. Used to have dining table in front room. Now have table in dining area of the kitchen.
Having a dining table was good when our girls were teenagers. We always ate our evening meal round it and it was often the time the girls would actually sit with us and talk. The rule was everyone had to sit down together for the evening meal unless they were eaten with friends

I think you are getting a very hard time OP. We have a dining room which houses a large table and cabinet with the Wedgwood (pure white, natch !), a kitchen table anda kitchen island that seats 6.

I wish I could eat almost every meal on the sofa, watching TV or on my phone.

We eat most everyday meals at the island but DC wind each other up and bicker. . It is not the delightful experience of Bisto adverts.. plugged in front of the TV would be my preference by a mile but I can't bring myself to do it, much as I would prefer it.

Ah, but the ops not getting a hard time, because this threads 5 years old!

Our kitchen isn't big enough to have a table in to seat all of us and if we didn't have a dining table-we would have to eat on our laps in front of the telly. My kids are far too messy for that and it's far from ideal!!

Nooooooooo !!! Is it? Oops!!

I still want to eat on my lap, on my own!!!

We have a dining table, used most days. It fits 6 (or 10 at a push for Christmas). I'm Italian and it's 'a thing' for me to have a table I can fit everyone round for long, loud meals. It wouldn't feel like home without one.

We only have a little dinning table

Also used as a desk, a place to dump things on, to play board games and for the cat to snooze on

And we eat at the table most of the time