To think that 8 p.m. is too late for children to eat their tea?

[whatever5]

Dh cooks tea for us all on Saturday (I cook during the week) and as usual he is outside having a beer in the garden at 7 p.m. rather than getting on with cooking.

He can't see the problem and thinks that I am being unreasonable and "controlling" to be annoyed that the children (age 9 and 12) won't get any food until 8 p.m.

Am I being unreasonable?

So they have no snacks at all during the afternoon? What time do you all have lunch?

As long as she has a reasonable snack it won't hurt her to eat very little for dinner.

I guess maybe it depends if you are a routine person? I hate that during the week we need to always get dinner done and the little ones in bed by 7:30 so its nice to relax at wkends, I can't wait for the summer holidays, no having to be out by 8am, late dinners, chilled out evenings, let's hope we get some good weather to enjoy!

If the younger one has a snack does it actually matter if he had a smaller meal OP?

I don't think it's too late for dinner, but they shouldn't be hungry.
Either snacks or an earlier time for dinner.

Send them out into the garden to nag him

Or phone for takesway

Aslong as they have had lunch and snacked, nothing wrong with children if these ages eating at 8pm. It's nice ti have routine but don't be too rigid with it, it's the weekend relax

Tend to eat around that time in the cheese household.......mainly because I found we were eating too early when we weren't really hungry then nibbling late evening.

What time are you thinking they will go to bed?

if they are 12 and 9 I'd get them cooking if they are hungry, what are you having?

It's not too late at all. To be honest it sounds like you're pissed off with him having a beer out in the garden. Are you?

we always have a few nibbles and or pepsi on a Saturday evening while dinner is cooking.
So breadsticks, crisps, olives, salami,feta ,veggies and dip etc.
I prefer to eat about 8pm ish so Im wondering is your DH holding out in the hope you will do it instead ?

I'm in the middle of trying to put a 2yr old and a 5yr old to bed, if the weather was any good here I'd be missing another beautiful evening doing this! I can't wait till they are older and don't crumble to bits at 6:45pm every night! Why don't you go out and have a beer with them? Lob a banana at your kids!

Point the DCs in the direction of the fruit bowl/crackers and cheese/toast and join your DH in the garden with a beer. It's a lovely evening - enjoy it! If the DCs then eat little of the tea, so what? One day of unbalanced meals per week will not harm them. Relax - it's the weekend!
For the record, my DD (now 17) rarely ate before 7.30/8 even in the week at those ages, and often much, much later. She seems to have survived.

Emphasis on eat rather than start cooking at 8pm - ready at 9pm

Anyway I'd say 8 isn't too late for a 9 year old at weekend, but would be too late for my 9 year old during the week as it would make bedtime too late.

It sounds as though you think it might be served closer to 9 though? That wouldn't bother me if I was also having drink In Garden, but would bother me if trying to get on with something else.

My oh is the same; this would irritate me. DJ just doesn't follow any routine meal, bath and bed times are much later when he is in charge.

Ds is used to dinner between 5/6 PM. If he and I ate lunch at 12 and had a snack at 3 ish, dinner should be around 6ish. I'd be fecked of to have more snacks because DH is on a different schedule to the rest of us. DS and I are both irritable when hungry.

At 9 & 12 they could take charge of a meal?

If your DH knows that the rest of the family want to eat early he ibu. I'd be happy to wait a bit or until ds was in bed. I would be hangry to wait without prior agreement.

If you know Saturday dinner is late though, why not have a snack/tea at 4ish, then everyone will still eat at 8pm (or later). Just seems like a big fuss about nothing.

DS2 is only 2 and has just eaten after a day out. He's now running round outside with DH.

YABU! My DC are younger and we just finished eating. Let your DH have a beer in peace

What is he planning to cook?.TBH, I think it's a bit uptight to have them eat exactly at 6.30 on the dot all the time...if they were that hungry,an apple or slice of toast at 6.30 would have tied them over.

Choose your battles.Stressing over a delayed tea (with big kids like yours) really isn't worth it.

Better still,let them cook Saturday tea for both of you from now on,then you can both chill out while teaching your kids some self-reliance.

Think of it as dinner not tea.

Agree with Kirjavathecat. Saturdays always relaxed and snacky here too (ie forage for yourself and I'll cook pizza later).

I make up for it on Sundays though You've got to have a chillout day re food imho esp when it's warm and sunny.

I don't have children but just about everyone i know feeds theirs at about 4.30pm! Which i thought was bizarre so am glad people on here are saying that children can be fed as late as 7pm!!!

I think its a bit of a control thing and its just the sort of thing that would really get on my wick (as i am a bit controlling) but i agree, if you know it will be late as it is most weeks, plan a snack, expect to eat no earlier than 8 have a glass of wine and try to relax.

I didn't think it was particularly good for anyone to eat that late in the evening? Especially children who will (presumably) be going to bed very soon after supper? Would be too late for me, I'm afraid - as a one-off, fine, but every weekend would drive me a bit crazy too.

However, there's a big part of me that would consider eating at midnight if it meant DH would cook occasionally....!

We always eat around 7:30 here as DH doesn't get home until 7 most evenings. I find it bizarre that so many people have their kids fed by 5pm.... I prefer that we get to eat together as a family, so the kids get a snack after school, then we eat dinner when DH is home.