To think most people *haven't* eaten dinner by 6pm??

[JumboShiitake]

According to DP "most people" have eaten dinner by 6pm.

Referring to adults, not children.

He's obsessed with eating at a time I consider pretty early.

I'm giving him the side eye

"8 is more like the middle of the evening so time to relax both sides."

Not for those of us who go to bed early. I am in bed often just before 9pm, asleep around 10pm. Just goes to show how different circumstances mean we all eat at different times. Huge variety of times on this thread.

I agree with you OP

I like an early dinner as I get hungry and I'd rather have an early dinner than snack after work but it's rare for us to eat before 6pm.

We both WFH how so can start dinner at 5:30-6 but when going to the office we'd be home by 6:30-7 usually and then have to make dinner

In normal times I have eaten by 5.30 as I have gym classes that start at 6.30. I couldn't wait until afterwards to eat and need to have an hour to let my meal go down before I go to the gym.
I have lunch at 12 so don't really want to wait 8 hours until I eat again.

"Isn't eating part of your evening time?"

Often we play boardgames with the two older DC at weekends. If we want to relax and play a boardgame that relies on playing from 7pm.... can't do that if having dinner at this time of day 🤷 like to be all cleared up so we can have a game of cards or boardgame for whole evening. Usually 7 til 9pm. Supper squeezed in during game or just after.

We eat at around 5.30. Stems from when the kids were babies and had a bedtime. Now they are older, we eat together at on or about 5.30. The kids then go to their room at 8 to watch their TV. DH and I have a light snack around 10.30.

I am from the north of England and I have my dinner at 12 noon. I have my tea about 6-30.

@LizFlowers Cooking and eating dinner is the best part of the evening! After that I’m just watching TV, reading or catching up on work emails that I haven’t managed to get to during the day!

Isn't eating part of your evening time?

I like my food, but I like to relax as well so dinner done and cleared up/bit of housework so can then sit and relax

Different at weekend when you are up later and might be having wine etc so happy to eat later and it be part of the evening and if you don't fancy clearing up you can leave it until the morning.

I don't think there is a right or wrong, we all just do what suits our routine, work pattern, eating preferences, family circumstances, body clock, appetite etc.

Also a meal at 8pm is impractical if you have a hobby you do in the evenings. DH often does Warhammer stuff at dining table. Can't do this until meal has been eaten. Much easier to get meal done, tidying up done first.

@blowinahoolie

"8 is more like the middle of the evening so time to relax both sides."

Not for those of us who go to bed early. I am in bed often just before 9pm, asleep around 10pm. Just goes to show how different circumstances mean we all eat at different times. Huge variety of times on this thread.

I go to sleep at 10 too, I used to get the 6.30am train to work! Hence why I considered 8 to be the middle of the evening. It doesn’t take an hour to eat and clear the table.

Pre lockdown it was before 7pm it's 6pm now. I have a toddler so dinner time is designed around them

I wouldn't think

This thread is sooo interesting, not least the slight defensiveness. (Although, to be fair, it has stayed very polite).

When we lived in London, commute into the centre was an hour each way door-to-door, even though we lived in zone 2. That was normal.

Also, we both had jobs that involved being on the phone to the US at times, so early office hours make no sense. Can't call NY at 9am GMT! They don't like it.

Always home by about seven, have a drink, think about dinner.

Post-kids it all moved earlier, although dinner is still part of the evening's entertainment and relaxation for me. DH washes up, so I don't worry about that bit

8pm here. Summertime around 9. We tried eating a bit earlier around 7 because is said to healthier but it just lasted a couple of weeks. I can't even think about eating at 6pm

PattyPan I have a Saint to groom, shower to have before supper etc. All eats into the evening after 7pm once youngest two are settled in bed. I don't have enough time to cook after 7pm. Meal can only be before 5pm in our situation as I want to eat with the DC each time to chat. Have no desire to cook once youngest two are in bed. Not being defensive, just giving background

I run at tight ship and meal times are set especially for DC. They need that routine.

@lboogy

Pre lockdown it was before 7pm it's 6pm now. I have a toddler so dinner time is designed around them

6pm is before 7pm!

How many toddlers do you have???

Mine is 5-5.30, we both don't have 9-5/6 jobs

@blowinahoolie yes, if your children are very young it does make sense - still surprised by the number of people eating so early on this thread though. I can’t remember eating before 7 when I was a child either, usually after whatever activities we had. I shower in the morning, I don’t have a hairdryer so that way it dries on the way to work rather than making the pillow damp

[quote PattyPan]@blowinahoolie yes, if your children are very young it does make sense - still surprised by the number of people eating so early on this thread though. I can’t remember eating before 7 when I was a child either, usually after whatever activities we had. I shower in the morning, I don’t have a hairdryer so that way it dries on the way to work rather than making the pillow damp [/quote]
You see up until lockdown last year for us it was often a case of we needed to eat before taking teen Ds to theatre rehearsal or singing group etc. His rehearsals often went on til 9pm-9.30pm

Dinner is always on the go by 6. We like to watch Richard Osman's House of Games while we eat. So we put it on and pause it until dinner's ready.

We eat between 5/6pm.

Anything later than 6pm is a late dinner in my mind.

@Comefromaway my parents eat around 9 now that I’ve moved out so my mother probably still would have done dinner for afterwards! I’m going to night school at the moment and one of our lectures is 7.30-9; the lecturer always closes the session saying she’s off to make dinner - she is Italian though.

Nah. Adults eat around 7 unless eating with small children. I have small children so eat at 5.

It would be interesting to know how old the people are that eat at or before 6 if it not because they want to eat with their children or work shifts.

I'm my mind, it's only OLD people that eat at 4,5,6pm.

I aim for 7 /7.30 ish, when we had younger children dinner was earlier.