To ask if I'm the only one who prefers to eat with a tray on my lap rather than at the table?

[JeanfromAccounts]

I don't really want to chat about my day or hear about my family's day when I'm eating. I want to eat, savour the food and read or watch the news with my tea (dinner/supper/whatever you call it) on a tray on my lap.

Any fellow heathens out there?

YANBU to do what suits you but YABU to get snippy with people who like sitting at the table.

Personally I hate eating in the living room in front of the TV. It’s awkward to juggle everything, something inevitably gets spilt and DH always puts something on TV that I’m not interested in.

DH keeps trying to encourage TV dinners but if I’ve made the effort to make a meal, the least they can do it sit at the table and eat it with no phones etc.

2 dc with ASD/ADHD. 6 years of battling food that 'must' be eaten at a table, countless meltdowns, crying, screaming,food rejection on a good day, food thrown on a bad day. trying to eat your food with a small boy climbing over you or the table. And the development of increasing anxiety around food for all of us and absolutely no chance of a 'nice chat' as that really ramped things up.Since giving in and accepting that our normal is different and letting them eat in peace in front of tv, they eat they try new food and mealtimes are not a battle ground. Anyone who would like to judge is welcome. When they live my life...

I just don't understand how having the tv on constitutes peace and quiet!

We do sometimes for movie night but we have some folding little tables from Habitat that are great. Still prefer the dining table though.

We do both depending upon what we are eating.

I probably prefer eating at the table most of the time; but a big bowl of pasta has to be a sofa supper.

YANBU to do what suits you but YABU to get snippy with people who like sitting at the table.

Exactly this. Implying that liking sitting around the table, or having a conversation while you eat, are middle class snobbery (or that those things need to be done while surrounded by dusty books ) is frankly ridiculous.

Depends! With DD we eat at the table but she's just a toddler so still in her high chair. If we are having takeaway or eating after she's in bed, it will sometimes be on our laps while watching something. We aren't rigid about it and we won't be with DD either

Currently my dining table is my home office set up with 3 monitors and 1pc and 1 Mac - yeah no room to eat there. So me and 2.5y DS eating on a picnic blanket in the living room and tbf fine. We still eat together 🤷🏻‍♀️

I like to eat sat on the floor in front of the telly

Yep that's me. Middle class. Would much prefer enjoying eating at the table. I did growing up. But like you I prefer eating on a tray doing something.

Eat where you like, but eating round a table is not a middle class thing.

I prefer sitting at the table but on my own. Hate people talking to me while I'm eating, especially breakfast. Had so many arguments with my mum growing up because she just can't/couldn't leave me alone on a morning. Even now she'll ring at 10am for a chat which is generally when I'm starting to feel like eating!

Can't bear siting on the sofa with a proper meal.

I'm working class and we always sat at the table for meals.

Yanbu

I hate eating on my lap. I enviably spill stuff.

I always eat at the table if I’m with family or friends as I think the social side of a meal is lovely and very important, but alone I may be a little more slovenly

NB pizza is a communal meal that may be eaten on the sofa

Don't even have a dining table in my house.

It's a tradition that is dying out. Mainly just the older generation that does that now. We sit at a table for Christmas and that's it. Mind you that still only my in laws house, don't at my parents as they don't have one either. It's nice at Christmas, can't be bothered the rest of the time. Can watch TV while eating.

Eating at a table is not a tradition that's dying out! Why do people post such bollocks?!

I love eating at the table in the garden when it is sunny and warm. However I hate eating at the table inside and would much rather have a tray on my lap.

I fantasise about moving to southern europe and having a table outside on the terrace surrounded by grapevines. My children including the one with asd eat much better outside too.

Family dinner is pretty much always eaten at the table. Its just easier and nice to talk without the TV on.

Breakfast and lunch is pretty much a free for all. Although we still don't like the TV on while eating, although occasionally have the radio on. The toddler turns into a zombie when the tv is on and always makes more of a mess and takes forever to eat.

But saying that my husband works during the day and I work in the evenings, so family dinner is usually the only time we get to talk face to face for much of the week.

Much prefer eating on my knee. Too formal for me to sit at a table. Yet I really want to remortgage to get a house with a big dinner table - for Christmas Day 😳

Table every time, or my kids get food everywhere. Iittle crumbs get in really odd places, and then we get rats!

Only like sitting at a table if it’s someone else’s table.

Always eat on the sofa here, and have done ever since I was a kid. I absolutely dread having to eat at the in laws around their table and make painful, boring, small talk for 40 minutes.