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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How often do you eat at the dinner table?

227 replies

mosiacmaker · 06/06/2023 02:23

How often do you eat at the dinner table vs on the sofa for “tv dinner”, and do you have kids?

My DP and I have no kids and we eat on couch in front of TV a lot and I am starting to dislike it. It feels lazy and boring and like a bad habit.

When we went to visit his parents I realised they eat all meals on the couch with the tv constantly on and I see where he gets it from (and was slightly horrified as this would never happen in my family!).

I would hate this to be our family norm in the future so I am trying to break the cycle now and get us into the habit of sitting at dining table to eat dinner. Maybe have a Friday night “tv dinner” but have this be intentional and a fun treat rather than the default.

But I am curious about what other people do and whether I am being needlessly old school on this?

Would you say you have the majority of meals at dining table/kitchen island/couch? Where do you eat breakfast?

Did this change when you had kids?

Where did your own family eat when growing up and is this reflected in what you do?

OP posts:
IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 06/06/2023 20:03

I grew up strictly eating at the table. I dont remember ever eating a single meal in my parents house, not at the table. Even now my mum and dad will only ever eat at the table.

I eat on the sofa 9/10 times…unless it’s soup because I always overfill my bowl…my iPad doesn’t have a stand and I want to watch tv whilst I eat 🤷🏻‍♀️

Crunchingleaf · 06/06/2023 20:53

We eat at the table especially when kids are around. I don’t want couch wrecked with food. II think it’s nice to have dinner all together and no phones or other screens at table for kids or adults.
If I am eating a snack or sandwich alone I might have it in front of to. Very occasionally DH watches a big match in front of TV while eating dinner.

celticprincess · 06/06/2023 20:53

It genuinely depends on how full of c**p the table is as it often gets dumped on. Our table is in the kitchen which you have to walk through to get to the longer so it’s slightly cramped to one side. We haven’t had a table for long though. We do have a breakfast bar. Kids usually have weekday breakfast at the table but weekend on the sofa. We try to eat meals at the table on an evening but a sandwich lunch usually on sofa. Saturday night is pizza night in front of the telly. We usually can’t all agree what to watch so the tv isn’t really a draw during the week.

At my mum’s hot meals are always at the table. Sandwich type lunches can be in the long e but she puts a huge rug out for the kids to protect the carpet.

When I used to visit my grandmother we always had a kind of 4pm afternoon tea on a Sunday and it was always on the sofas with the coffee tables pulled out. But her flat was so small that there wasn’t really space to pull out the big table - she had one and it was ancient and more for show but I suspect was used in days gone by.

At home as kids we always ate at the dining table in the separate dining room. But we did have a tv and it was often on at evening meal time - often Grange Hill and then turn over for the news depending on time we were in from school. We are at the breakfast bar for breakfast but it was often piled up with washing waiting to be put away.

MumApril1990 · 07/06/2023 03:24

Maybe once a month, anytime we have guests? Otherwise we eat at the kitchen island.

SpanielsByTheSea · 07/06/2023 06:23

We eat every meal at a table. No phones, no TV ever. I sometimes put the radio on if the others are out.

The kitchen table is the default unless it’s a celebration meal or 6+ guests, when it’s the dining room. Often we eat in the garden at this time of year. I’ve also got a special little bistro table for breakfast, in a spot that catches the morning sun.

The exception is on Christmas Eve when we eat pizza in front of the fire ( and a film) in the drawing room. This started when the children were tiny, in case Santa comes early 🙂

stayathomer · 07/06/2023 06:55

Pre kids I think we actually ate in front of the tv every day but now always at the table. Growing up we did a mixture (depending on whether The Weakest Link was on!!!)

IHeartGeneHunt · 07/06/2023 06:59

My table is very small (the living room is very small) and has all the paint and craft stuff on it because there's nowhere else to put it, so DD eats at the clear end and I eat on the settee.

Ndhdiwntbsivnwg · 07/06/2023 07:05

I don’t even have a dinner table (only a tiny Ikea one for the kid) and my child is 3 😂
There’s no place to put it!!!

uonika · 07/06/2023 07:38

We always ate dinner at the table as a child (big italian/greek family) and my lasting memory is being incredibly bored having to wait ages for my younger siblings to finish eating. I was always desperate to read at the table but wasn't allowed to.

Now I always read when eating and let my DS do the same, or watch TV. He is home schooled though so I spend all day with him - dinner time is my break!

ChocChipHandbag · 07/06/2023 08:31

SpanielsByTheSea · 07/06/2023 06:23

We eat every meal at a table. No phones, no TV ever. I sometimes put the radio on if the others are out.

The kitchen table is the default unless it’s a celebration meal or 6+ guests, when it’s the dining room. Often we eat in the garden at this time of year. I’ve also got a special little bistro table for breakfast, in a spot that catches the morning sun.

The exception is on Christmas Eve when we eat pizza in front of the fire ( and a film) in the drawing room. This started when the children were tiny, in case Santa comes early 🙂

Oh bless you with your drawing room and special bistro table.

caringcarer · 07/06/2023 08:48

3 or 4 times a week.

Dogsandbabies · 07/06/2023 08:50

All main meals at the table too. Breakfasts during the week are at the breakfast bar. Then I talk to the kids while I prepare breakfast and packed lunches before we all head off to work/nursery/school. It's a nice habit to get into.

inloveandmarried · 07/06/2023 09:24

All meals when more than one person is in the house. Even a lunchtime sandwich,

Our children are adults.

If I'm home alone (very rare) I indulge in a curry from the take away and eat it on the sofa watching Netflix. It's my guilty pleasure.

I enjoy watching TV and eating tea, but my husband can't enjoy his food this way.

SpanielsByTheSea · 07/06/2023 09:30

ChocChipHandbag · 07/06/2023 08:31

Oh bless you with your drawing room and special bistro table.

Show quote history

We only call it the drawing room because that’s what the estate agent called it. And ‘room with the Warhammer painting table, drum kit and big telly’ doesn’t trip off the tongue quite as easily 😆

I do love my special bistro set. Sixty quid in a reclamation yard. Repainted and good as new. Brings out my inner Nigel Slater.

Simonjt · 07/06/2023 17:48

Rarely, we eat on the floor, I’m not sure when I last ate at a table at home.

Arcadiusdonk · 07/06/2023 19:26

We used to always eat on the sofa watching tv when we were child free, but as soon as the babby started wearing we started eating at the table.

It would have been kind of weird and messy to have a high chair in the lounge 😂

Ibizamumof4 · 07/06/2023 20:01

Never eat in front of the telly / sofa just find it uncomfortable and messy tbh don’t really get why people like doing it

Createausername1970 · 07/06/2023 20:10

Always ate all meals at the table as a child, as did DH. So we carried on the same when we moved in together, it was normal.

When DS came along it was meals at the table, but I did make an exception for lunch if it was simple finger food and he was in the middle of a Lego creation, then I let him carry on, with food on a tray.

Now, both DH and I WFH but slightly different hours, so we eat lunch at slightly different times, DH usually eats at the table, I eat mine in the lounge or in the garden. But dinner is still 99% all three of us at the table.

I get indigestion if I eat a dinner off my lap.

RedRobyn2021 · 07/06/2023 20:38

When me and my DP first got together we are at the table then we got into a habit of eating in front of the tv. When we started weaning our DD we started eating at the table and we eat all meals there together now.

Scarlettpixie · 04/10/2023 20:01

We eat at the table maybe 4 times a year around Christmas.

DS (16) and I eat dinner on the sofa in front of the TV and are usually chatting or watching some series or other. I enjoy that time together.

toastfiend · 04/10/2023 20:10

We have a TV dinner once a week or so. Otherwise, every dinner at the table. When I was a kid I was at boarding school during the week so ate at the table by default. At home, it was a mix but pretty often in front of the TV. Eating at the table is important to both DH and me, it's a nice time for us all to catch up and DS eats better at the table.

Poppysmom22 · 04/10/2023 20:12

Every day but it's in the kitchen so it's easier than walking past it to the sitting room

heyitsthistle · 04/10/2023 20:16

We always eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the table. I begrudgingly allow snacks in the living room, but I want to ban this soon.

Weebleonaworkout · 04/10/2023 21:26

Every mealtime. Even before children DH and I sat at the table. I find sitting on the sofa with food on a tray uncomfortable - it just doesn't feel right to me

oksothisisusnow · 04/10/2023 21:30

We eat at the table most of the time. Unless it's takeaway pizza night, then we're at the table.

It sets us up nicely for a conversation about the day otherwise we stare at the TV as we eat.