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AIBU?

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Original poster

Eating takeaway pizza at the table

171 replies

Dogonthephone · 09/08/2025 19:59

Dd, 7 and her friend have had a brilliant afternoon-swimming in the pool, playing with toys, painting and so on. Dd asked if we could have takeaway pizza for dinner. Dh went to pick it up, the kids got dry and put a film on, comfy on the sofa. They were laughing having lots of fun and excited when the pizza arrived.
Dh then said to come and sit at the dining table to eat it, instead of sat on the sofa continuing their film. He then proceeded to tell Dd to eat properly and not rush, talk with her mouth full
and on and on. Brought the whole fun mood down.

Aibu to think the whole point of getting takeaway pizza is to eat it on your lap watching something and to relax?

OP posts:
johnd2 · 09/08/2025 22:28

Depends who is going to clean up. I'm the fun hoover in our house for the kids but who likes cleaning up food mess. The kids generally have a go at cleaning up after themselves but they usually just smear it about-not a problem in the dining room. but my partner hardly ever seems to sit down to eat, although the house rule is generally that you sit and eat then you clear your stuff.

Maybe better to have a one day a week/fortnight agreed rule breaker day, then you eat on the floor, garden, park, whatever. And the rest of the time at the table. Then everyone knows what's happening.

Blondebrownorred · 09/08/2025 22:28

All food at the table here. No food in the living room.

Chick981 · 09/08/2025 22:33

He is BU. We got shop bought pizzas for the kids tonight and let them eat it in the living room with a film, we wouldn’t always but there is something about a pizza and movie that is just a lovely treat sometimes.

Cucy · 09/08/2025 22:35

He was being ridiculous.

Theres not way I’d have them interrupt their movie to eat at the table.

Whats the worst thing that’s going to happen - they get a bit of mess on the sofa.

Eating at the table is handy when using a knife and fork but if you’re not then there’s no need to eat at the table.

EllyRoff · 09/08/2025 22:36

Chick981 · 09/08/2025 22:33

He is BU. We got shop bought pizzas for the kids tonight and let them eat it in the living room with a film, we wouldn’t always but there is something about a pizza and movie that is just a lovely treat sometimes.

House rice

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 22:40

I'm baffled by all the "Team Sofa" responses who seem to think that just because they would rather eat on the sofa, DH is not allowed to ask his child to sit at the table. I'd rather eat pizza on the sofa - I'm a takeaway = sofa person. But he's not saying you, as adults, in your own homes, must sit at the table. He is saying that children in his home must eat at the table.

The question here isn't "would you rather eat pizza on the sofa or at the table?", it's "is DH allowed to make rules for his own child in his own home?".

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 22:45

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 22:40

I'm baffled by all the "Team Sofa" responses who seem to think that just because they would rather eat on the sofa, DH is not allowed to ask his child to sit at the table. I'd rather eat pizza on the sofa - I'm a takeaway = sofa person. But he's not saying you, as adults, in your own homes, must sit at the table. He is saying that children in his home must eat at the table.

The question here isn't "would you rather eat pizza on the sofa or at the table?", it's "is DH allowed to make rules for his own child in his own home?".

Only if the rules are reasonable. On a movie night , with friends over , it wasn’t the time or the place to suddenly introduce a new “rule”.

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 22:47

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 22:45

Only if the rules are reasonable. On a movie night , with friends over , it wasn’t the time or the place to suddenly introduce a new “rule”.

Show quote history
  1. Nothing to suggest it's a new rule.
  2. Nothing to suggest it's an unreasonable rule. In fact, plenty of people on here have stated they have the same rule.

Glad you agree that he's done nothing wrong and OP is BU.

Lemonadeat8 · 09/08/2025 22:48

Sounds like your child was being unpleasant with her eating and needed telling.

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 22:52

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 22:47

  1. Nothing to suggest it's a new rule.
  2. Nothing to suggest it's an unreasonable rule. In fact, plenty of people on here have stated they have the same rule.

Glad you agree that he's done nothing wrong and OP is BU.

Show quote history

Nice try.

From OP.

We don’t really have rules for eating, we sit at the table sometimes but usually on our laps or in the garden (at a table-live in a hot place) but I can’t remember us eating pizza at the table lots before.

So yes, a new rule .

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 22:57

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 22:52

Nice try.

From OP.

We don’t really have rules for eating, we sit at the table sometimes but usually on our laps or in the garden (at a table-live in a hot place) but I can’t remember us eating pizza at the table lots before.

So yes, a new rule .

Show quote history

That doesn't prove if it's a new rule. He hasn't said "from now, all food must be at the table". The "rule" could be "food eaten with hands must be at the table" or "children we don't know and could be messy must eat at the table" or "pizza must be at the table"... It could've always been a rule but OP, in her own words, "can't remember".

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 23:10

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 22:57

That doesn't prove if it's a new rule. He hasn't said "from now, all food must be at the table". The "rule" could be "food eaten with hands must be at the table" or "children we don't know and could be messy must eat at the table" or "pizza must be at the table"... It could've always been a rule but OP, in her own words, "can't remember".

Show quote history

A rule that no one else in the house (child or wife) can remember isn’t a rule. Anyway, you do you. Keep supporting Mr. Billy Big Bollocks throwing his weight around with 2 7yos on a playdate. Time and place mate, time and place.

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 23:15

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 23:10

A rule that no one else in the house (child or wife) can remember isn’t a rule. Anyway, you do you. Keep supporting Mr. Billy Big Bollocks throwing his weight around with 2 7yos on a playdate. Time and place mate, time and place.

Show quote history

You have no idea what the child knows. You just keep making things up.

A parent asking a child to have manners isn't "Mr Billy Big Bollocks throwing his weight around".

The fact is, if OP were on here saying that she asked her 7yo and a friend to eat at the table her DH had a tantrum about it and called her a fun sponge and behaved like OP has here - you, and the same usual crowd, would be here saying how he's so awful for undermining her, so unsupportive of her, and a terrible person for thinking she can't have any say in her own home.

Another fact is, he's behaved completely reasonably and the fact you (and I, frankly) want to eat pizza on the sofa doesn't mean he's out of order for wanting his child, in his house to sit at the table.

If the roles were reversed, the thread would be up in arms over the useless, lazy, judgmental DH who doesn't support his wife.

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 23:20

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 23:15

You have no idea what the child knows. You just keep making things up.

A parent asking a child to have manners isn't "Mr Billy Big Bollocks throwing his weight around".

The fact is, if OP were on here saying that she asked her 7yo and a friend to eat at the table her DH had a tantrum about it and called her a fun sponge and behaved like OP has here - you, and the same usual crowd, would be here saying how he's so awful for undermining her, so unsupportive of her, and a terrible person for thinking she can't have any say in her own home.

Another fact is, he's behaved completely reasonably and the fact you (and I, frankly) want to eat pizza on the sofa doesn't mean he's out of order for wanting his child, in his house to sit at the table.

If the roles were reversed, the thread would be up in arms over the useless, lazy, judgmental DH who doesn't support his wife.

Show quote history

Nope. I’d be saying the same thing (without the big bollocks) if it was OP /a woman doing the same. Like I said, time and place.

minipie · 09/08/2025 23:21

I bet if it had just been asking them to eat at the table, it wouldn’t have been nearly such a mood killer. The problem was that he then also proceeded to tell her off about table manners in various ways. That’s the real fun killer IMO.

minipie · 09/08/2025 23:22

And personally I’m team Table as I don’t want tomato sauce on my sofa. I have messy eaters for kids though, maybe all the Team Sofa people have very neat 7 year olds.

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 23:26

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 09/08/2025 23:20

Nope. I’d be saying the same thing (without the big bollocks) if it was OP /a woman doing the same. Like I said, time and place.

Show quote history

Course you would

Original poster
Dogonthephone · 09/08/2025 23:34

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 23:26

Course you would

Show quote history

Guessing you’re a man?

OP posts:
ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 23:39

Dogonthephone · 09/08/2025 23:34

Guessing you’re a man?

Show quote history

No, I'm not. Just capable of thinking dads are allowed to parent their DCs - or, more simply, I don't decide whether someone is being unreasonable on their genitals.

Original poster
Dogonthephone · 10/08/2025 00:08

ConfusedSloth · 09/08/2025 23:39

No, I'm not. Just capable of thinking dads are allowed to parent their DCs - or, more simply, I don't decide whether someone is being unreasonable on their genitals.

Show quote history

It has nothing to do with that…so if I don’t agree with his parenting, I just have to shut up and accept it?

OP posts:
Avoidhumans · 10/08/2025 00:50

I just eat crisp in bed i know im disgusting.
Had a noddle last night in bed im getting worse.
Plus coffees and fag out the window thank fuck i live alone.😂

Sirzy · 10/08/2025 05:58

Irrespective of where the food was being eaten he was absolutely correct to pull her up on poor table (or sofa!) manners! They shouldn’t be optional

PollyBell · 10/08/2025 06:58

Dogonthephone · 09/08/2025 23:34

Guessing you’re a man?

Show quote history

Why? I would have children sat a table to eat and show manners and last time I checked i was female i somt see why that poster would be a man?

Illbefinejustbloodyfine · 10/08/2025 07:00

We have a picnic rug for this purpose, the dc eat on that on the floor on a movie night.

Fountofwisdom · 10/08/2025 07:08

Takeaway pizza is definitely one of the few meals that is a treat to be enjoyed whilst watching a movie, but I wouldn’t want children to eat it on the sofa as it can be very messy. I put a washable blanket or big beach towels on the floor for them to sit on whilst eating it.

Your husband sounds like he was a misery about the whole thing though, which is a shame after they had been having a lovely time.