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

[JumboShiitake]

@garlictwist

Now I'm working from home I have developed quite odd eating hours. I get up about 5am and have my first breakfast, then second breakfast around ten. Lunch at 3 and then usually don't bother with dinner.

I'm a big fan of a second breakfast

I do love that the thread is still going, and its fascinating

[Mother2princess]

Usually adults between 6-8pm

[rawalpindithelabrador]

@EggysMom

This may be a cultural thing - I believe Europeans tend to eat later, Americans eat earlier.

I'm born and bred English, we eat dinner (tea?) at 7pm.

Americans often work till at least 5pm, often 6. And eat accordingly. They are expected to work very long hours there.

[LizFlowers]

@Mother2princess

Usually adults between 6-8pm

Yes, that seems reasonable.

A lot depends on what people do for a living. Farmers who have to get up at some unearthly hour would go to bed very early, therefore eat earlier.

Does it matter?

[TheOtherMaryBerry]

Do you mean she won't eat if you aren't, because otherwise I can't see why you have to eat at 4.30 because you have a toddler.

I find this so interesting! There was a thread not that long ago about eating with your children and the OP, who fed her toddler in the afternoon and ate with her husband later, was absolutely set upon. She was told she was going to damage her child, set her up for a lifetime of poor eating because they didn't eat all at the same time. Yet so many posters here seem astonished that anyone would think of eating at a suitable time for a small child!

[IncorrigibleTitmouse]

@EggysMom @rawalpindithelabrador True story about Americans. American kids go to bed later (as a rule) than they do in the UK. There are a lot more SAHMs but the kids are in SO many activities. School in our state starts at 7:45am and finishes at 2:45pm. Most families I know eat around 7pm because standard working hours are either 8-5 or 9-6 but most people put in overtime and most people have a commute. (Mine is usually about an hour’s drive so I’m loving WFH but I don’t finish till 6)

[IncorrigibleTitmouse]

Elementary school that is. Middle school is about 8-3:30 and High school is 8:30-4:30. They stagger it so that the school buses can get around all the age groups.

[Bluesheep8]

We eat at 5:30 ish, 6 at the latest if we've got phone calls to make. We also call it tea, not dinner.

[TeaOneSugar]

We eat around 6pm, my teenager would be chewing her arm off by 8:30, also, I don't live with DP so many evenings we eat, clean up and I go to his house for the evening, there would be no evening left if I was still loading the dishwasher at 9pm.

What do those who eat at 8pm or later do if you have somewhere to be in the evening (pre lockdown of course) ?

[TeaOneSugar]

We don't eat again btw, maybe a biscuit with a cup of tea in front of the telly but nothing more substantial than that.

[Ragwort]

Tea if we are going out (non Covid times) we would eat earlier ... I prefer not to have a 'set' meal time, it depends on so many things - what time you get home, what you are cooking, how hungry you are, if you are going out etc etc.

[TeaOneSugar]

@Ragwort

Tea if we are going out (non Covid times) we would eat earlier ... I prefer not to have a 'set' meal time, it depends on so many things - what time you get home, what you are cooking, how hungry you are, if you are going out etc etc.

I was thinking those on the thread who never start eating until 8pm or later would struggle to have any sort of social life that didn't include eating out. We're the same as you it depends what else is going on, it's not set in stone but others are suggesting it is fairly set and no earlier than 8pm, even if you have a long commute and don't socialise or do hobbies outside the home during the week, surely you must at the weekends.

[peboh]

@CustardySergeant yes sorry, that's me not proof reading before I click post.
Yes, she'll only eat if whoever's at home is eating with her. If we don't she won't entertain food at all and it ends up all over the floor.

[lubeybooby]

I usually aim for 6pm ish for dinner to be served but we usually have earlyish lunch at midday

I can handle later if planned in advance but I need a snack. Perma hungry!

[LizFlowers]

@TeaOneSugar

We eat around 6pm, my teenager would be chewing her arm off by 8:30, also, I don't live with DP so many evenings we eat, clean up and I go to his house for the evening, there would be no evening left if I was still loading the dishwasher at 9pm.

What do those who eat at 8pm or later do if you have somewhere to be in the evening (pre lockdown of course) ?

People usually have an early supper if they are going out somewhere, something quick and easy but substantial enough to get you through the evening.