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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is a normal rule..

263 replies

Butterflykissess · 03/06/2018 15:44

that children are not allowed to eat food in bedrooms or on sofas?! Does anyone allow their children to do this? as much as I tell my children they are not allowed food upstairs or on the sofa they ignore me and do it anyway. Aib u in thinking this is normal and most parents don't allow it.

OP posts:
starsuniteonceagain · 03/06/2018 16:20

I don't allow food on the sofa or upstairs unless we are watching a film and I'll let the kids eat snacks then. But mine prefer to eat at the table tbh.

daisypond · 03/06/2018 16:22

Sleepovers with tweens/early teens... They'll smuggle in sweets and crisps and eat them in the bedroom, and you won't know. Even one of my DDs who is completely fanatical about keeping her room pristine and not a crumb in sight did it.

Lovelydovey · 03/06/2018 16:22

True in our house, and only water as drinks allowed upstairs (even adults adhere to this).

DragonsAndCakes · 03/06/2018 16:22

At under eight I think it’s fine to enforce that!

MERLYPUSSEDOFF · 03/06/2018 16:23

I must be draconian too then.

We eat nearly all plated meals at the kitchen table. If we are having lunch they sit on the floor using a plastic stool as a table. They always have done this and it never changed once we got our new sofa.

If they have a drink it is usually in a sports lid bottle or if not, on the stool.

The only exception I can think of is a slice of cake which they normally eat from a bowl to catch crumbs.

My house is no way a show home.

strayducks18 · 03/06/2018 16:24

The rule isn't the issue it's the children's blatant disregard for you that is. To be honest if my kids cut up food on carpets with hair combs then I wouldn't want them eating anywhere other than the kitchen!

MrsTerryPratchett · 03/06/2018 16:25

I could tell them to clean it but they wouldn't do it properly

That's not the point. The point is to teach them that their actions have consequences. And you have them do it until it's done. Even a four yo can pick up crumbs and put them in the bin.

BingTheButterflySlayer · 03/06/2018 16:26

Food at the table here - drinks either by the sink or at the table. DD2's dyspraxic - food balanced on knees on sofa ends up with chaos and the dog eating well so we've got the rule for everyone.

MumofBoysx2 · 03/06/2018 16:26

No, definitely not upstairs. If they took it up there I would take it away so they couldn't ignore it! Only water upstairs. But occasionally we do let them have food in the living room, as long as it's at the large coffee table (not on the sofa). Usually eat in the dining room.

Anythingforacatslife · 03/06/2018 16:28

We have no food upstairs but on the sofa is ok for snacks. We eat meals at the table.

lifechangesforever · 03/06/2018 16:28

Hmm we couldn't have the 'no food on sofa' rule because we don't have a table to eat at so there's no choice!

I also think as they get older, eating in bedrooms is fine, I know I certainly did as a teenager.

Essentially though, it's your house, your rules.

WaxOnFeckOff · 03/06/2018 16:29

The problem isn't the food, it's the fact that they ignore you.

No food upstairs is pretty common for younger DC when mine got older they could take things like a packet of crisps or popcorn upstairs but nothing runny and only water.

Despite this DS2 still managed to accumulate loads of orange peel and apple cores.... Hmm

Now they are teens, they take tea and coffee etc upstairs but not meals and we all occasionally (christmas eve etc) have dinner on the sofa together. or movie night snacks/pizza etc.

I appreciate 4 under 8 will be hard work, but it will only get harder if you don't get them more compliant now.

Littletreefrog · 03/06/2018 16:29

Surely it doesn't matter how many other people have the rule or not. The point is you have the rule and your children are not respecting that rule. You therefore have a parenting issue not a rule issue.

Katedotness1963 · 03/06/2018 16:30

No such rule here. I like tea and toast in bed at the weekend. Or a cup of tea and a biscuit while watching a programme on Netflix. Kids are allowed too.

Notevilstepmother · 03/06/2018 16:30

It absolutely doesn’t matter if they clean it properly. The point not how well it gets cleaned, it is they clean it, cleaning is boring and it isn’t as fun as playing. Mummy doesn’t like cleaning either, please try to make less mess. It’s a lesson for them, not just a chore. You can clean it to higher standards later —if you can be bothered—

Sit them all down and lay down the law. No food upstairs whatsoever for any reason at all ever. Any breach of this will result in removal of pocket money/favourite toy/tv time/whatever they won’t like. A week of no one eating upstairs gets a reward.

Make comb chocolate carpet child hoover his room. While he is doing this make the others use a small dustpan and brush on the sofa.

I would leave the no eating on the sofa rule for now so you have one less rule to enforce. However messy eating on the sofa, they clean up. Eating on the sofa is from a plate only to catch the crumbs perhaps?

Notevilstepmother · 03/06/2018 16:31

Mrs Pratchett types faster than me, with less waffle!

Bluntness100 · 03/06/2018 16:33

No I didn't have this rule, and don't know anyone who does or did.

But we taught them to eat properly. No one would have been cutring up a brownie on the carpet with a comb.

I'd relax rhe rules but talk to them about eating properly.

I'm curious though if they can't sit on the sofa and eat something like a cookie, where should they eat it, do they have to sit formally at the table? I can see why they would ignore that to be honest.

WilyMinx · 03/06/2018 16:34

Other than at the dining table or over the kitchen and bathroom sinks Blush, I don't let my 5-year-old (nor husband) eat anywhere else in the house.

MrsTerryPratchett · 03/06/2018 16:35

Mrs Pratchett types faster than me, with less waffle!

Grin
FASH84 · 03/06/2018 16:37

@Lovelydovey

True in our house, and only water as drinks allowed upstairs (even adults adhere to this).

So DH never brings you a cup of tea in bed?? DH goes to his hobby on a Sunday night and I love nothing more than having a bath then sitting on my bed reading a book with a cup of tea, I am a grown up and can be trusted not to spill and if I do I'm capable of cleaning up. I understand the rule with little children but that seems a step too far..

Dancingtothebeat · 03/06/2018 16:38

Sofa is fine. But then we have cats so have to hoover sofa daily anyway.

Although may consider covering cats in immac and changing rule come to think of it. May save me work.

Echobelly · 03/06/2018 16:38

Every now and then I allow kids to eat something on the sofa, I don't think ever in bedrooms, which I find kind of gross!

WaxOnFeckOff · 03/06/2018 16:38

I'm curious though if they can't sit on the sofa and eat something like a cookie, where should they eat it, do they have to sit formally at the table?

In my house when they were the age of the OPs children and older, yes.

Snacks are served at the table unless it's a family thing where we are having movie snacks or are outside. My house is far from immaculate btw.

biscuitaddict · 03/06/2018 16:39

Stop giving them said food. Meals at the table, if you want something else you sit at the table or you don't get any.

farangatang · 03/06/2018 16:41

I have one very messy eater and the rule is absolutely no food in bedrooms (she hates cockroaches and we get loads if there are crumbs anywhere!)

Food on the sofa is OK as long as they clean up after themselves. Do love a bit of popcorn whilst watching a film!

Noone in our house eats or drinks in a bedroom unless they're ill.

OP - your house, your rules. Trickiest thing is to determine consequences if your requests are ignored...