To think this is a normal rule..

[Butterflykissess]

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.

No food allowed upstairs for children here, no drinks except water. When they do as much cleaning as I do, I may reconsider (ie in about a decade when they are adults).

For practical reasons they usually have to eat on the sofa, so can't really ban that!

For teenagers, if they want the privelege of eating upstairs they also have to keep rooms clean enough to avoid mice and bring all dishes downstairs, or parents will have to enter the room in search (which if they are anything like me will be fate worse than death...)

Not a big fan of ‘no food upstairs’: it’s a bit excessively genteel and non-U, I think, like ‘shoes off when you come into the house’. But, then, I live like a pig, so . . .

No food upstairs in this house. I might let them away with some sweets if they're having a sleepover but certainly no crisps, apples, biscuits or anything.

We don't eat meals on the sofa, ever. Perhaps some popcorn watching a movie or a biscuit with a cup of tea.

I don't allow any food or drink upstairs as we have mice.

I have no kitchen table so sofa and a lap tray every day and dd is great, no mess. I also don't care if she eats upstairs when friends are over but not alone

I have no kitchen table so sofa and a lap tray every day and dd is great, no mess. I also don't care if she eats upstairs when friends are over but not alone

That was the rule in our house growing up, and the day I saw a mouse run under our parents’ bed was hilarious Only adults are allowed to eat on the sofa in my house now, but we do have table in front, which makes it easier. No children here, which helps Obviously when there are children here, everyone only eats at the table or outside.

Sofa is fine for a snack, but not sitting down with a plateful of dinner.
Food in bedrooms is a definite no though.

We eat dinner at the table every night but they are allowed snacks etc on couch except things like yogurt etc. Crumbs just get hoovered up with the cordless hoover.

My five year old never eats in his room and never wants to. My two dds do take snacks up they are 8 and 13.

4 under 8...so, how are they able to ignore you? Are they help8ng themselves to food when you’re not there? Are you giving them food then going upstairs? I just don’t get how they’re able to do it when they’re so little and (IMHO) too young to be helping themselves to food.

You need to get some control while they’re small because in a few short years your life will be hell if they don’t do as expected. You do that by having consequences (food removed, mess ‘cleaned up’ and the next snack request refused) and by being consistent. Every. Single. Time.

Agree with Kitty

The rules are fine. I had similar until DCs were old enough to take responsibility for their own rooms.

OP your problem isn’t the rules but the children not doing what you tell them. If they take food away from permitted areas you remove the food. Rinse and repeat....

4 kids,under 8 who don't do as they're told isn't a where should we eat issue, it's a behaviour issue.
I'd remove food out of their reach so you can monitor what they're eating where if they can't follow simple instructions

Food on the sofas yes, easily cleanable food. Nothing like cereal or soup.

Food in bed - absolutely never. I hate that.

SenecaFalls I should qualify dog is allowed up to sleep in dog basket at night. But not during the day as he's a thief and a trailer of debris from the garden!

Not sure what else to do though . They get told off but still ignore me

I wouldn't tolerate that. You are their Parent. Act like one.

House Rule is any food, snacks as well as meals is only to be eaten whilst child/children sit at the table.

All food they can help themselves to is put out of their reach and you give it out at appropriate times when they sit at the table.

Any food seen being eaten anywhere else is immediately confiscated and binned.

Ignore screaming, protests and tantrums and repeat The Rule.

Would they be allowed to do that in school, a restaurant or someone else's house?
Clue, any visiting child trying to cut up a chocolate brownie with a comb on one of my bedroom carpets would be swiftly put in their place.

Seriously, if you need parenting classes, or Supernanny please go and ask, you cannot carry on letting them do whatever they like and make excuses for them and for yourself.

OP Put food out of reach. Have a stair gate. Um, be stricter?

We don't have space for a dining table so eat on the sofa so I'm obviously more relaxed about where DS eats.

Do people really make the kids sit at the h room table to eat an apple or a biscuit or other similar snack?

Only at a table, inside or out, or on a stool at the island in this house.
None negotiable and they are made to sit up before I will bring the requested snack out.

I don’t allow food or drink upstairs or in the living room. Water is allowed upstairs for bedtime but that’s it.

They don’t flout that rule because they understand that there would be consequences! Just telling them off gets you nowhere.

Tbf they are not bad kids this is one rule they tend to 'forget ' also it was the 4 year old cutting up the brownie not the oldest who is 7. Don't have stair gates as thought they were meant to be removed after 2?

We have a no food out of there kitchen rule but the kitchen does have sofas in it so they do eat food on them

Food is not taken upstairs and pretty much everything is eaten at table...apples are only thing I can think of that aren't. I've had teens and was never a problem, as they were used to it. I don't want to increase chance of mice and can't afford new furniture because of spills/rancid milk smells etc. The kids drink at the table too. From end of primary they can have a cuppa on settee. All of my rules are carried out, I'm pretty firm about respecting the household. It works for me but I know many people who have all food anywhere.

Well I think you need to look at what food they can get for themselves. And they may "forget" the rule but what happens like today when you find them with food upstairs?