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

[BikerWife]

I'm fascinated by this thread

No young dc here, we eat anywhere between 5.30 and 9 depending on shift work and evening hobbies (running and triathlon clubs) but my ideal dinner time would really be around 7/7:30

[CosyAcorn]

We eat between 5:30-6, I'm always hungry by 5:30!

[movingonup20]

6.30 ish is my preferred time as I have acid reflux and need to eat 3 + hours before I lie down. I think we are quite early. Even when the kids were young we at about the same time

[LST]

Well.. I have dinner at dinner time, so about half 12 to 1 in the afternoon. I have my tea between 5 and 7 when dp gets in!

[TankGirl97]

We eat at 5.30 with the children. I'm sure that will slip later as they grow. Pre kids, we ate at 7-7.30.
DH loves eating early now, he thinks he sleeps better.

[Veryverycalmnow]

We eat around 5pm with DS but at weekends have a "treat" late tea, sometimes takeaway xx

[TheOtherMaryBerry]

When I was a child it was always around 5-5.30. DHs family always eat late, 8-8.30ish. I struggle that late as I just feel full before bed which I hate. We ate at about 7.30ish until recently when we started eating with DS at about 4.30! Sometimes even 4 at the weekend. I feel so much better for it! I honestly think it's made a massive difference to me. Never feel hungry again before bed, but then I do like a big portion. I agree about the fasting, now I regularly go from 4.30ish to about 8am with nothing to eat I feel a lot healthier!

[thesugarbumfairy]

I don't think 'most people' eat tea by 6pm, no. But it surely depends on your day.

I think if you have younger children, you probably feed them earlier. When ours were little they were always hungry by then so we would feed them 5.30 till 6pm. But we rarely ate with them

Now they're a bit older, tea-time is 6.30pm. I usually eat with them and DH might say plate me some up and I'll eat it later as thats still too early for him.

[Joinedjustforthispost]

My kids have tea (dinner) we are northern! Between 4.30/5.30 pm and me and dh are luck to get tea by 9pm due to our daughters round the clock care needs so I don’t start cooking our tea until 7.30 pm. It’s also habit as a child my parents worked until 10pm in our local business so tea was always late, I’ve tried having tea at a normal time but I’m starving by 9pm .

[HavelockVetinari]

Pre-DC we ate at about 6.30-7pm. Now we eat around 6pm so we can eat together as a family.

[Same4Walls]

I'm fascinated by this thread

Me too. Part of me also wants to know what time those eating at 4 or 5 go to bed. Even a perfectly average bedtime of 10pm would leave you a minimum of 4 or 5 hours after finishing a meal. Surely they would be hungry again before bed?

[gracelessladyhottramp]

We eat at 4.00 with the kids. Then they have fruit later in the evening. I feel a bit embarrassed reading this thread!!! I found that they just wanted sugar after school and ruin their appetites if we try to eat later.

[Veryverycalmnow]

Oops, added the kisses as in middle of texting and WhatsApping others.

[VintageStitchers]

I’m in my 50’s and eat my dinner by 6pm most days.
DH prefers to eat very late so we never bother eating together.

I might snack about 10pm when DH starts his dinner.

[YellowandGreenToBeSeen]

Supper around 7.30 - 8pm here. Am just about to eat in fact.

[Fembot123]

We have dinner together between 5&6

[BorisandHarriet]

When the kids were younger they’d eat about 5ish. I sometimes ate with them or sometimes ate later with DH. Now kids are older I normally eat with them about 7 and sometimes DH eats with us and sometimes he eats later.

[Frazzlefrazle]

We eat around 6pm (3 primary aged children too) however 2 days a week I don't finish work until 6.30 so I eat at what ever time I fancy on those days. When I was growing up we always ate at 5pm as my dad left for work at 6pm for his night shifts.

I imagine as our children get older we will move it to 7pm.

[SmednotaSmoo]

Since having children we try to eat with them, since no commuting, that means about 5.30 (and a selection of quick to prepare meals). Out of choice I would go for 6.30 I think, but my parents eat at 5 and always have done - they worked into the evenings but stopped then.

[Batshitkerazy]

We eat around 6-6:30

[Shinyletsbebadguys]

No way here. If we are working we are never in and DC sorted by then. If DC are in childcare (couple of years ago now) they had a main meal at lunch and a tea before leaving and I would give them some small suppers before bed. I would rarely if ever eaten before 9pm.

Now we are all home and I have worked from home prior to covid for a couple of years then DC would be fed 5.30 to 6 and I sit with them and have a snack (mainly to support family eating) but actual dinner for DP and I is around 7pm. It's only earlier because I do IF so don't eat past 8pm. Dp will often have a snack much later as well because he doesn't eat breakfast or lunch.

We try to eat with DC a couple of times a week so we are all eating together but I admit that's the first thing to go on tough weeks.

We are always in the room and sitting chatting but not necessarily eating.

My DM and DF without fail sit down to dinner 7pm on the dot. No matter what ,I promise the zombies could be invading and standing outside the patio doors and my DM would insist they were only allowed to eat their brains after the placemats were put away and the dishwasher loaded.

"Come on DF , now pop the coasters next to them , now the tablecloth can be reused , I'm not washing it...now grab that rake and I'll grab the kitchen knife and we'll despatch these zombies before spring watch comes on"

I'm only half joking

[luanmapo]

We always without fail have dinner between 5-6pm.
My daughter used to have to eat at 8.30 when she went to her bio dads, gave her all sorts of sleep and digestive problems. Her tummy couldn’t handle it as not what she is used to.
We (Dh & I) also don’t like to eat later as gives us Indegestion.
Guess it’s what you’re used to.
As a child, DH was lucky if he got fed! I on the other hand had meat and 5 veg every single day at 5pm on the dot.

[CMOTDibbler]

We never even start thinking about cooking dinner till after 6. But my parents always ate at 5 - but dad got up very early and was home from work by 4 as was mum, and they were in bed by 9 so their whole day was shifted relative to mine

[TheOtherMaryBerry]

Me too. Part of me also wants to know what time those eating at 4 or 5 go to bed.

Usually in bed at 10, sometimes a bit later but never feel hungry in the evening after eating early.

[minipie]

My primary age kids haven’t eaten by then, just about starting maybe.

DH and I don’t eat till gone 8 most days. Used to be later before wfh.