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?

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

You mean like you just did?

More people are eating on the sofa or in their bedrooms now than before. It's a smaller percentage now that do eat at a table and it is usually just left for special occasions like Christmas. Look at how houses are designed now, most don't even have a dining room. You get a small corner in your kitchen for a table. That most end up not using.

It it’s just adults yes, but it has to be the table when eating with the children, I wouldn’t be able to relax other wise!

We very rarely do anything other than sit round the table (in the kitchen, unless we have guests). There a few exceptions:

Normal breakfasts - people do their own thing. The children might take a cereal bowl into their bedrooms. My husband has his in front of the television. I might be at the kitchen table, or in the sitting room. At this time of year I eat mine in the garden.

Meals that only one person is eating - I still eat at the table when eating alone. I hate eating on my knee as if I'm sitting on a squishy sofa the angle of my legs is all wrong. My husband eats in front of the television when he's on his own.

Takeaway pizza - eaten in front of the television or in the garden.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t sit round a table, so a don’t think it’s accurate to say it’s a tradition that’s dying out. Different things are happening on different cultural/societal groups.

However, each to his own. Very silly to be dismissive/judgemental of people who do things differently.

Eating on my lap? Food spills , manners dissapear....DH and I or with DC will eatimg ice cream/pop corn or what ever in fron of telly as a 'lazy treat' or watching a film.
Reserved for the middle class?! nope. Used to catch up on our day, share ideas TALK to each other, easy to clean up any food mess, remind the kids of general table manners for the rare occasion we eat out. Reserved for middle classes in a room filled withdusty books? What a very strange thing to say

More people are eating on the sofa or in their bedrooms now than before
Well, if you say so... 🤷🏻‍♀️ Are you sure it's not just people you happen to know? I can't imagine where you got the stats on what percentage of the nation is suddenly eating in bedrooms.

Dying out where?

There's even less reason for dining in front of the tv with digital boxes and phones.
No need to balance plates on knees.

It's a tradition that is dying out. Mainly just the older generation that does that now.

What nonsense! Eating at the table is still a perfectly normal thing to do for many non-old people. Besides, what on earth is so traditional or formal about eating at a practical bit of furniture that's designed to put things on? It's not as if all the table-eaters are putting out the best china with silver fish forks and decanters and linen napkins! It's just a practical, non-messy, comfortable way to eat. We eat snack-type lunch at the table too - every single time. It's much easier to chuck all the stuff on the table for everyone to sit and take what they want! It's not a performance or an exercise in being naice and middle class.

I sometimes eat on the sofa, btw. But claiming nobody eats at a table anymore is bullshit.

I put mine on the arm of the sofa as lap trays annoy me! But I also like to sit with my legs up

More people are eating on the sofa or in their bedrooms now than before.

People eat in their bedrooms?! Why? I wouldn't want food smells in my bedroom tbh.

Agreed

Tray. But I don’t have kids.

I do. My husband prefers the table and it pisses me off. I live TV dinner

You get a small corner in your kitchen for a table. That most end up not using
All houses in Britain are not built from a kit .

I don't understand how anyone can use a knife and fork, while sitting on a sofa and balancing a loaded tray on their lap. It would be a recipe for disaster in this house!!

It seems there may be a ring of truth to it, although it's not a serious study.
Although less than half is not excellent dying out.
My guess is most respondents were younger, single with smaller homes. I.e. people who answer online surveys.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/590026/

For us we always eat at the table when we eat as a family. No tv on while we eat either. We don't usually get to eat as a family due to the hours my husband works, so when he's here we make the most of it

@Thisismytimetoshine

You have not read what I have said in any of my posts.

1. I said MAINLY people eat on the couch now. Not ALL. I know not all do, it's evident from this thread. But if you go on Google and look for surveys on where people eat now in the house, the percentages have changed from 30-40 years ago. Back then, it was way more common to eat at a table, no matter what class you were. Now, times have changed whether you like to believe it or not.

1. I said houses that are designed NOW rarely have a dining room, and they don't. Look at 2-3 bedroom homes in new builds. You'll be lucky if you find one that has a dining room, as in an actual room, not a portion of a room called the dining part. It's mainly now an extended kitchen that has a space to put a table in. But they aren't big areas, you've got space for a small table usually and that's it. Obviously older houses are different, they were designed for different families.

And yeah to another poster, people do eat in their bedrooms more now. A lot of teenagers do, students do, people in flat shares will as well a lot.

People have changed in how they do things. If you can find me a recent survey to prove me wrong on this, go ahead and show me.

We mostly eat off our laps but there's only the two of us. If we have my niece over we eat the table as she's likely to spill!

Just me and DH in our house. TV on then tray on lap and eat, I’m with you OP!
We used to eat at the table then realised we preferred the more relaxed approach. I like to eat my food whilst it’s hot. We can chat any other time!

Sorry I meant to add that if dh and I have a takeaway we have it in front of the telly. But family meals are always at the table with telly off

I always eat my meal at a table, even if I’m alone

Not sure why

My kids are 17/15 and never had their dinner in front of the TV

Poor things, it just never occurs to me to not eat in the kitchen Maybe it’s a cultural thing ?

We always ate in front of the TV, then when Dd got to about 12 she ate in her room.
We are perfectly capable of sitting at a table, holding cutlery correctly, (fwiw, we can both use chopsticks too), and having a conversation over a meal, we just prefer not to.
There's only ever been the two of us so plenty of time to chat without needing to do it at mealtimes.

Cultural as in : British? Am immigrant