To think these are typical meal times/bed times in the UK

[Verybritishtimings]

Breakfast - between 6 and 8 (weekday/weekend dependant). Accept will be later if you have a long lie in - I have small kids so it doesn't happen.
Lunch - between 12-1.30
Dinner - generally between 6-8 - could be as early as 5 for small children.

Bedtime - between 9.30-midnight for adults under normal circumstances, no special events. Between 7-8.30 for youngish children.

I have a friend who constantly gaslights me about this. I'm crazy that my kids go to bed at 7 (they are ready for bed then and always wake before 7 regardless). I invite her round at 2pm and she brings HER OWN LUNCH because 'i eat so early and she couldn't possibly'. Is she trying to be every so continental or something?!

This is light hearted, don't care when people eat on their own time but my timings align with the majority of the population and the work/school day do they not?!

Won’t your 10 year old ask for something else to eat before bed time? A couple of posters have mentioned dinner at 5pm and it seems so early!

We do breakfast at 7, lunch 1.30-3pm, dinner usually 8-10pm
My friends are all similar

Im a creature of habit!

breakfast 7, dinner at 1, snack at 4, tea at 8.

makes me feel amazing to eat regularly and on time. Good for energy levels and sleep too!

Unless they are on a particularly early shift I've never met an adult in bed by 9.30pm.

My kids were more like 9.30 and my friends are all 1am ish. Your timings seem early to me tbh.

Sounds very early to me

All your friends go to bed at 1am (ish)? Aren't they all fucking exhausted all the time?

Fine for an 11 year old. 5 year olds need 11 hours

Exactly, if you're up at 6 then heading to bed at 9.30 will give you 8 hours. Many, many people are up before 7. I don't know any adult who wakes after 7.30 latest during the working week so they would be chronically tired going to bed after midnight.

Most of us have kids with additional needs and are up and down throughout. I average about 4 hours. You sort of get used to it lol

I'd say typical though I do think the British are particularly early with when they put children to bed. I'm in the USA and things go a bit later -- not Spain late, but people tend to get home from work later so I don't know anyone who puts a child older than a toddler to bed before 8pm. Meanwhile my British family think that children can't possibly function if they don't have their tea as soon as possible after getting home and then bath and bed by 7.30.

The only non rigid meal time for us is breakfast as wakeup times vary. Lunch is at 12, snack is at 3:30 and dinner at 5:30, sometimes a slice of toast before bed.

My toddlers go to sleep at 7, school age at 8! I love my evenings!

We aren't too strict though, so will go out for lunch/dinner at non designated times but if we are home, thats our schedule!

I mean, for me, those are very early times.

I don't eat breakfast, but I have a coffee at around 10ish.
Lunch at around 1pm.
Dinner about 8pm.
My daughter goes to sleep at about 9pm, and I go to bed around 1am.
She gets up at about 8am.

I work 10am-6pm so I'd never see my daughter if she went to bed at 7pm.

But you do you.

That would have probably been helpful to include and it must be tough. Although in that situation I'd be even more eager for an early night to get a few extra hours before being up again.

To answer the original question, your timings look spot on for the majority of British people, especially without young kids. Of course there will be outliers. When I’m not at work I have lunch between 11 and 11.30-I’m hungry then and would rather not snack. DS (2yo) has lunch at 11.30 at nursery so we have lunch together at weekends. Breakfast around 7.30, he has tea 3.30 at nursery, then dinner 6.30 so we can eat together before his bedtime at 7.30.

I dont think there is anything weird about eating lunch at 2pm. For some reason changing the schedule doesnt work for her. The only weird bit is her comments about you eating ridiculously early.

The British like to have their "adult time". I was also surprised by this.

But the friend is arguing that op's timings are wrong. This isn't just a difference of opinion. She insists that she is right and that op is wrong. I have come across people like this and it does something very strange to your brain when you interact with them.

Your bands of timings are very much normal.

I don’t eat breakfast as I leave early, but for the others in the household, it usually starts about 7.15, so they can get to school in time for breakfast club, and commute to work. It isn’t really later at the weekend, as sporting activities can be quite early.

My lunchtime depends on how busy things are at work, and can range between 11.30 to ‘not at all’ depending on how well or terribly the day is going. I’ve been in this job long enough to have learned that if there is an opportunity to eat/drink/go to the loo, you should take it, as you don’t know when the next chance will be.

Dinner time depends on what time everyone gets home from school/work and evening activities. It is usually about 7.15, but is either 6pm or 8.30 on Wednesdays, depending on whether we can all get home in time to eat before variou activities or whether we have to eat after.

Your times are normal but so are your friend's. YABU go accuse her of gaslighting

Ha! This!

How do people even have dinner at 5 or 6pm? Id probably still be at work! I dont work an office job, but those tend to be 9-5ish, right??? 5 meaning you are finishing work??
And bed at 10pm is absolutely unachievable! I couldnt manage that even when I had 6am shifts, though my last 6am shift was before I had a baby.

With my baby, try as I might, I cant get to bed before midnight/1am, as she doesnt go down until at least 11, at the earliest, usually closer to midnight, and then I have to do all the jobs I wasnt able to do when she was awake!
She then sleeps all night until 7, and then goes down again until 11am, and the morning is the only time of the day when she sleeps soundly, and not just 15 minutes of light sleep!

Your timings are completely normal, your friends are too. The only weird thing is your friends OTT reaction. I'd find it exasperating too.

Trying to think what I do (no DC)

Early shift
Breakfast 9am
Lunch 11.30am or 12
Tea 5-6pm

Late shift
Breakfast 11am
Lunch 1.30pm or 2pm
Tea 7-8pm

Weekends anything goes!

Your friend sounds very tedious OP. This isn’t some lovely warm, light Mediterranean country. People should stop wanging on like it is 😄 I see it a fair bit on MN. We don’t take siestas in the day (because there is no heat, newsflash), and therefore why would we/our kids stay up late into the dark and cold evenings habitually for the fun of it? I enjoy a couple of hours child free in the evening, big deal 😄

I've always wondered... what is adult only time actually for?

Ok but even if she does go 'omg that's weird, you eat lunch at 11?' Or whatever...

Who cares?!

Do people really have to walk on eggshells around friends? It's just a daily routine, no big deal!