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Aren't these bulky pieces of furniture that take up lots of space and are rarely used outdated now except with older people?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But isnt this just all outdated and unecessary faff a house can do without in a time when people are no longer as formal when it comes to situations such as dining?

I think my point was that life is very rushed now and I wonder if people really have the time to go through the hassle of setting the table and sitting as a family formally.

We always sit at the table to eat and there is nothing 'formal' about it and setting the table takes no time. It's just a bit of cutlery and glasses of water we're talking about not Downton Abbey formal dining room.

We don't all eat breakfast together - it's more of a rolling buffet, but we still sit at the table. The thought of my DCs with rice crispies or spag bol on their lap on the sofa makes my teeth itch - it would be such a mess.

Of course you need a table! TV dinners on your lap are OK, but what about breakfasts and lunch? What about learning table manners and conversation at the dinner table?? What about doing homework, doing crafts, lego, making things? All happens at our dining table.

We eat every meal at the table. I even use it if I'm on my own! I really find it difficult to eat off a tray on my lap. Very occasionally we'll have a take-away in front of the TV but it's so much easier to eat at the table! Even when we lived in a tiny flat I made sure the table could be squeezed in. I love eating together and talking to my kids about their day. I know that's not always possible for everyone, but I'd still try and make sure we ate together at least once a week.

We specifically only looked at houses where we could have a dining table. It's our time to be away from any media, talk, relax and enjoy. Ours is a separate room at the moment but we will extend and the kitchen will join the dining room then so that when our child/children are here we will all be together whilst cooking/doing homework etc.

Yes, I know this is a Zombie thread but it still makes interesting reading . We always have family meals at the table - usually in the kitchen but we do use our dining room when we have guests or 'Sunday lunch' type meals. The only time I would slob out with a meal in front of the tv is if I was alone for the evening - a slightly guilty pleasure .

Perhaps we are dull because our lives don't seem to be that rushed, we probably eat together 5 nights out of 7 and have breakfast together most mornings. DH works for himself and I work part time so we often have lunch together (at the table) too. .

We eat every meal at the dining table. It is also used for doing homework, working from home, sewing and lots of everyday activities. I couldn't live without a dining table along with the sofa and the beds it is the most used pieces of furniture in our home, not just for show at all.

I really find it difficult to eat off a tray on my lap

I only really eat 'bowl' stuff infront of the TV - bowl of pasta, noodles, stew, tagine etc that kind of thing you can eat using a fork only or chopsticks.

How can children learn table manners if they only ever shovel food into their faces while watching a screen? Where would they learn the art of conversation? Where would you have space for school projects, artwork, crafts etc.?
I do feel the OP has a point about display cabinets full of stuff that is rarely used. I use everything, nothing is for show.

We use our dining room as a second lounge so don't have the room for a dining room table but we bought a foldaway 4 seater (there's only 4 of us anyways) and we use it for every dinner time. I think it's really important to have a sit down dinner as a family and it gives us a chance to catch up on what's happened during the day or what's happening at school/college. I must admit though it is a pain to constantly have to get the table out every dinner time and it was a lot easier when we had the dining table in the dining room but with the space we now have I cant really complain.

We use ours every day, it's not hard to set a table is it? Knife, fork, done!
Sometimes on the weekend we eat a takeaway in the lounge with a film but mostly we eat at the table.

Yabu. We sit round ours every day for breakfast and dinner and for lunch if we're all there. Feels weird not eating together now.

Me and my baby eat 95% of meals at the table and when my partner is home he will join us. My front room gets jn enough mess from my 10 month old without food getting dropped everywhere. Occasionally we eat in front of TV at night on a weekend or have a snack. But i like to eat at the table more room and can have a decent conversation. I also don't like the use of phones at the dinner tables.

What does it actually matter how rushed you are, anyway?
It doesn't take any longer to park your bum at the table than it does to park it in the sofa.

My family and I eat around a table we always have and we always will. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Never will I let my children eat in front a TV. My personal opinion bad manners and a table is a family place for family time. My husband and I before we had children and we had a small house used to eat on the sofa. I think when you have children it's how you install good manners.

Research always confirms that eating together and children's academic progress and behaviour are linked.It is one time you can talk introduce topics of news and discuss things whilst undistracted.Super nanny programme always reinstates them.Where do you eat?

We eat at the table ever day. Its called "Family time" where we all catch up on what each family member has done that day. Only on very rare occasions are my family allowed to eat in front of the TV and tbh they don't tend to eat as well as when they are seated at the table.

We don't have a dining table. DD has a toddler table that she sits at to eat; we eat on the sofa. Doesn't stop us chatting about our day!

Where would I change DD if we didn't have a dining table?? We also use it to eat evening meals (together) and breakfast (normally separately).

We have a six seater table in the kitchen/diner. It's old and scrubbed, not polished, but it's beautiful to me because my family have grown up around it. We clear the homework stuff to eat dinner, then afterwards DD gets out her colouring, or Hama beads.

I think we spend more time around that table than anywhere else in the house.

We don't have a dining table. DD has a toddler table that she sits at to eat; we eat on the sofa. Doesn't stop us chatting about our day!

Where will your toddler sit when she is no longer a toddler? What about any other children that may come along? It is very different to sit around a table as a family than be dispersed around the living room, in front of the TV to eat.

I don't understand this idea that it's more work to eat round the dining table than on your laps. You don't have to lay it properly every time, you can just grab the cutlery and chuck it on.
We normally eat round a table but every so often we have a 'movie night' where we eat dinner in front of the tv, which the dcs love because it's a novelty but they make more mess that way than round the table.
If my house was too small for a proper table I'd have a nice folding one, whether antique or Ikea.

YABU, we use ours for all our meals. My kids have other kids around to eat, i can tell the ones who eat from trays on their laps as they have terrible table manners and dont actually know how to sit.

Breakfast and dinner ar the table. In the dining room. It's just off the kitchen and it is beautiful, but that's because I like nice decor and nice furniture not because I kepp it for best.
We make use of the space for lots of other reasons like craft, Playdoh drawing, writing and sewing.
I wouldn't be without it.
YADBU

We don't spend any time setting the table, just place mats, knife and fork and maybe a tray of condiments. it takes no longer than pulling out occasional tables, finding knife and fork, and using condiments.

No, not everybody is always rushing, some of us like a more leisurely approach to mealtimes.
it's far better for the dc education too.

We use our dining table every day. We always sit down for dinner together as a family. What do you do at Christmas? Do you sit in front of the telly?? We also use it for doing other things like homework, games, crap . I know lots of families who don't sit down together and eat off their laps but for us we don't. Each to their own I suppose.