To let my dc eat on the sofa?

[Pinkwintersocks]

We eat all our main meals at the table, so lunch and dinner are always eaten at the table together ,even if we get fish and chips we all sit at the table. If we have eggs for breakfast at the weekend or bacon sandwiches we eat at the table. The only exception to this is if I'm at home alone I would eat a sandwich in front of the tv.

But for breakfast in the week we often all eat at different times and it's just toast or a bowl of porridge, I don't mind if they eat in front of the tv, or if it's just a quick snack after school of toast or crackers or fruit, I'll let them eat on the sofa.

I think it's because I feel tired and lazy at those times, I find it hard to eat breakfast as it is so like to curl up under a blanket with my coffee and porridge, watching the news, so why wouldn't they?

Dh doesn't like it and moans about it. I grew up in a house where we are all our meals on our laps, and although I wouldn't do that now I wonder if I'm being a slob. Dh would have us sit at the table at all times no exceptions.

I have a lovely dining table and four chairs but my kids mostly eat in their rooms

Coffee rings are worse!! Agree with OP, breakfast on the sofa, main meals at the table - best of both worlds.

When our kids were tiny we decided to stick to decent, second hand furniture and inexpensive carpets. With pets, kids, lots of craft hobbies and outdoor activities etc it's just easier not to be too precious. My mother lived in a minimalist show home with a tiled lounge floor (everything covered in a thick layerof grime though) and I hated feeling like I had been tidied away every five minutes. We're not pigs, we use plates if we eat in the lounge and we do hoover, but we eat a lot of our meals in the lounge and we eat at the table when we all feel like it. If we're having a big weekend brunch we'll eat it at the table.

I don't feel guilty in the least about our eating habits and don't care what others do. I do get embarrassed about our mess though.

Everyone saying “nobody has died yet”: is that the threshold for acceptability, then? Death?

Thank you for the link Weezol. I've ordered one for DS who is allowed the odd non-messy meal on the sofa
My granny was very "correct" but we would sometimes have supper in front of the TV on trays like that.

The question is how important is it to DH and should you just give in as it's no big deal as the DCs eat at the table the rest of the time.
Perhaps bring it up when all DCs are there and DH too so that you can together decide the best course of action.

YANBU
You don't need to sit at a table to eat a piece of fruit.

My dds eat a lot of their meals elsewhere. DH works from home and so has taken over the dining table so there’s often no room. They know how to eat properly and sit at a table nicely when we’re out or visiting so I can’t get worked up about it.

Yanbu. Although as a childminder I prefer everything to be eaten at the table because the mess with gangs of kids eating everywhere is quite substantial and it's quicker and easier for me to clean up in one place than 2 or 3 rooms. On the weekend my own older kids have breakfast/snacks in the living room.

That would personally annoy me, but if it works for you keep doing it. Everyone’s different.

Everyone saying “nobody has died yet”: is that the threshold for acceptability, then? Death?

It's a light-hearted comment, do you always take things so seriously?

Ours sit at the table for most meals, but I wouldn’t be militant about it. They eat on their sofa in the playroom and sometimes on the living room one (although that’s new so I’m still a bit precious about it).

I’m not surprised that many people don’t have the room for a dining table, in all the houses/flats/prefabs I’ve lived in I’ve not always had room. We’re in a new build detached now and had to sacrifice our 6 seater dining table for a 4 which can be extended when needed (but means that one person’s arse will be in the living room when its extended). A dining table is a definite luxury space wise!

mine eat whereever they will eat. gave up sitting at table ages ago for one. It is crucial that he eats so wherever he will eat is fine. nor do we all sit round the table and eat a meal together. too many sensory issues. dd sits at table.

We eat anywhere we like. Dining table, conservatory, living room, bedroom. But my kids are older and don't tend to spill things.
We all tend to eat at different times- whole family mealtimes are rare.

Sofa here for all meals. We have a dining table but within 5mins of being cleared there is crap all over it again. It is the dumping place for stuff in our house.

When the kids were little they ate at a small plastic table with those little kiddie chairs. As soon as they were old enough to balance a plate/bowl on their laps they were on the sofa. It’s never been an issue, the kids eat properly at a table when we go to a restaurant or to someone’s house, it’s not like they have needed to practice at home to get the hang of it.

Hopping- same here we all know how to eat at a table, we simply choose not to.

Forth those that always eat at the table- what about snacks- or a a sandwich if you are alone at home?
I eat my lunch at home watching the news on TV with a sandwich and a coffee.
Does that never happen?
No popcorn or chocolate watching a movie?

Personally I hate not eating at the table, unless it's just a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal as a snack in the evening we set the table and eat all out meals at it.Our DC'S grew up knowing when dinner was ready the TV went off and we all sat down together.I would generally time it so they could finish watching their programme if a favourite. But then I hate breakfast in bed,plates wobbling everywhere and crumbs. I just love the ritual of mealtimes,and feel sad that maybe it's regarded as old fashioned now generally ? If I'd prepared a main meal and members of our family grabbed it and whizzed off to eat in the bedrooms -well it just wouldn't happen!.But each family has their own ways.DC's all left home now but nothing makes me happier than getting us all around the table together,even if it's just bacon butties and a pot of coffee.

Yanbu. We often eat tea / supper in front of the tv. The dc's are calmer that way and it's usually the only chance I get to watch tv.

We always eat on the sofa. My ex DH, who is the biggest snob I have ever met, would hate that. The joys of divorce!

Where do your kids do crafts etc

Messy mat on the floor.

It's a pain but no money to move atm

Me and dd usually have breakfast in bed!! She'll have her toast and I'll have mine. She goes on the iPad and I'm mumsnetting. Makes for a very relaxed morning and then I hoover up the crumbs with a handheld vac!

I think it's the OP's hubby that is BU!

Meals at the table, snacks and breakfast on the sofa in our house!

All these pernickety little people and their prissy little rules about when and where to eat and the correct way to sit etc
For goodness sake do as you like in your own home, as long as it's comfortable.

We don't have a table. So. Not really an option

I grew up with very regimental meal times and anything was up at the table. Would prefer a mixture of both but now have lived without a table, it really isn't a big deal.