To ask if anyone else prefer eating their evening meal on a tray?

[FredSoftly]

I have friends who insist that every meal is eaten en famille at the table so everyone can "talk about their day." Then they complain that it's often tense or their teens are moody and uncommunicative.

When I suggest tea on a tray, they gasp in horror!

We often do this in front of the TV and it can make for a nice relaxed evening. We also manage to chat a lot without facing each other across the kitchen table on a nightly basis.

Am I common?

Give me a table or give me death.

@sbhydrogen

Give me a table or give me death.

I absolutely loathe the snobbery about eating at the table.
Much prefer on laps here!
When we do sit at the table it feels special. I have to admit though, my dh is not a talker at all and has not concept of creating conversations. Yes... He was forced to sit at the table.

My dc one, has misophonia and hates to hear me chew.
And I hate to eat in silence.. So it's works much better for us to eat with the TV.
In the summer we usually eat at the table outside...
We chat to each other all day though, especially now in lock down, so it's not like we can't or don't talk.. Just not sat around a table.

But eating every meal at a table smacks of unwoke, right-wing white privilege.. Hahaha this is too hilarious to be real !

On gosh just to add, I also know some of dc friends and indeed dh family, cousins etc all forced to sit at the table, very poor table manners!
My dc absolutely have far better manners!

Why didn’t they just put it in their knees?

It might hurt.

Can't imagine having to chop food in a bowl ready to enable sitting on a sofa. I like to cut my food up as I go along! Otherwise we may as well have baby food mushed up!

Sofa for me. Live alone, no table. Well I have a desk but don't fancy sitting eating there!

I miss eating at a table so bad! I only have couch & coffee table in my flat. The only space where i could put a table to eat at is occupied by a pet but when she goes to the great wheel in the sky i will be getting a table to sit at!

Hate hate hate bending forward when im eating, it just feels far more comfortable to eat at the table, whether im by myself or with company is irrelevant. I do like to read when i am eating and that's deffo easier at a table.

I do enjoy floor time though, picnics or sitting on a nice rug or carpet. Just not suitable where i live but growing up i was either at the table or on the floor.

Not so stealth boast alert!

I've just polished off a bowl of tagliatelle and tomato sauce with meatballs, courgettes, mushrooms and a side of garlic bread, all balanced on a tray on my knee and no mess made at all!

I was in the living room because I didn't want to bloody well chat about my day!

We are a customarily old school upright tradition family therefore table manners etiquette de rigueur. All seated together in one sitting with sometimes background music but no television to enjoy each other's company and catch up etc. However we are also flexible not set in our ways as sometimes on trend too and if appropriate have ventured to airline style home buffet tray catering for certain events such as following live sports or adventure camping etc. Eating a meal on your own tray is a touch too school/university or hospital style but fine on coach class airborne! Each to their own as I don't disagree with this choice concept as works perfectly well for garden barbecue picnic or poolside settings etc

Crumbs.

Country girl that's absolutely not true re children sitting in restaurants.
My dc can sit but my ds dc who have been raised with tables can't sit, the child would never ever sit in a high chair or be strapped in anywhere.
They like to get out and eat and the only way to get their dd to sit is with an ipad. Head phones and they can eat a nice meal out.

The trouble with your portrayal of the situation, OP, is that you seem to be trying to cast families who eat off a tray in front of the tv as chilled out and happy, and families who eat at the table as serious people who insist on chatting about politics etc. It's a false divide

@lazylinguist

I'm really not - that's what you are taking from the responses on this thread. Sometimes we eat at the dining table, sometimes we eat at the kitchen island (DH and DD prefer that) and often I eat alone from a tray on my lap.

I do have friends who insist on every meal at the table and they sometimes complain of moody, uncommunicative teens or tense, sullen DHs at the table and I think stress might be alleviated by not eating every single meal en famille.

God I love eating on the sofa! Clearly, I'm a common trollope who will be censored ans scorned here. (Couldn't give a shit)

@FredSoftly

That sounds very tasty indeed & even a preferred Table Eater like myself would happily polish that off on the couch

Absolutely not. Couldn’t do a tray.

These days I seem to be eating most meals at my working-from-home desk.

We eat at the table for nearly every meal - just me and the 2 DC here. I like to model good table manners/cutlery use/ polite behaviour. I hate the thought of them behaving like animals when they visit other people. I do judge other people's kids who don't know how to behave at the dinner table. But we do eat pizza and some other snacks meals in the living room occasionally.

I just can't imagine eating off a tray, how do you know how much to serve, where do you put the condiments, where is your glass and the bottle to top up, what if you want seconds, thirds, an extra helping of veg potatoes, I am prepping our supper now ... a fairly easy meal, shepherd's pie and two veg - but there are the condiments on the table, the wine is opened first glass drunk, water glasses, napkins - with silver rings - right wing privilege, I just don't want the faff of carrying all that into the living room to slump in front of the tv. And, to be brutally honest, with DH WFH & I am on furlough we have endless time to sit in front of the tv.

Don't have room for a table, we have a little fold away table and 2 trays with cushions underneath

We eat every meal at the table. Together or if there is just one or two of us. It’s just a family habit. Definitely not right wing or ‘woke’

I just can't imagine eating off a tray, how do you know how much to serve

What's that got to do with eating from a tray

Oh UNwoke you say! Well perhaps you’re right! Cos I am that... and white...

It depends what you are eating. Dh's mum only gets the table out for Christmas day. Some things are difficult to eat off your lap. At my mums we eat meals at the table because it's easier. Snacks or small things etc can be on the sofa.

In my house we eat 'family style' at the table when the food warrants it. Sometimes we dish up in the kitchen and eat at the table and sometimes we eat on the sofa, depending on what it is.

Mine and my mums dining tables are in the front room though.

Dh and I mostly eat in bed now though in front of the tv. We're proper slovenly now 🤷‍♀️

We have always eaten our dinner at the table - card carrying Labour party member.

But eating every meal at a table smacks of unwoke, right-wing white privilege."

Geez - bum oot the windae talk!

Always eat our meals at a table - and did it when I was poor and living in a council house.