Eating takeaway pizza at the table

[Dogonthephone]

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?

These threads are a massive eye opener to me - are there really people who never curl up on the sofa with a film and some snacks because “all food has to be eaten at a table”? 🫣

I’m really glad I never grew up in such a rigid household.

We eat together at the table most of the time (including lunch now it's the school holidays) so don't mind letting the teenagers eat pizza occasionally in the living room but the sofas are leather and they put the pizza on the coffee tables so less messy/cleanable. 7 years olds and fabric sofas - definitely no!

There is a half way house between letting younger children hang out like teens with take outs and bringing the mood down at the table with constant nagging while friends are there. I don't think I'd of left 7 year olds to it on the sofa with pizza.

No way am I eating pizza at the table. It’s wrong

I wouldn't let 7 year olds eat pizza on the sofa, but no reason to go on at her. On the bright side, imagine how much more unbearable he'd have been if they'd got pizza sauce on the sofa/carpet.

To me popcorn, crisps, and chocolate are snacks pizza is easier at the table

Don't see who on earth this is being rigid but why do both parents have to be the same on everything?

We dont watch films in this house and very rarely snack so no that doesn't happen here.

All food is eaten at the table here but we eat takeaway pizza out of the box - it doesn't taste the same off a plate! 🍕

No takeaways on the sofa here either.

You never sit and watch a film? Not even at Christmas?

It feels rigid to me because it's very formal and doesn't show any flexibility for eg. being tired, or unwell, or whatever.

We just find it is physically easier to eat off a garden surface, the food is central and we dont have to wrestle plates on pur laps, and especially for food wherever need a knife and fork

Don't see how it is inflexible or not ot is just practical none of us thinks about ot is just natural to do for all of us

Didn't think the idea was so complicated we just do it like having a shower and brushing our teeth

I never said it was complicated, just that the idea of never eating anywhere except a table seems ridiculously rigid to me.

Um no, they don’t!

99.9% of the time our food is eaten at the table. It doesn’t “ruin” the mood - everyone gets what they want and then can go and carry on once they’ve finished.

if kids are throwing food then they haven’t been bought up properly. Mine have never done this

I’m a bit shocked that so many people’s 7 year olds can’t eat properly either. My 3 year old can sit on the sofa and eat and not make any mess, that’s using chopsticks too.

Same! Find it really odd

Didn’t leave them to it, we were all sat watching it together and eating

Exactly - PP even said it was normal for 7yo's to throw food?! In what universe is that normal? lol.

Mine either and can eat pizza without causing a mess..and we have a creamish sofa…but I do put throws over

I grew up in that kind of rigid household and now let my kids eat wherever is most practical! I try and keep the mealtime rules to a minimum of not grossing out anyone else. They asked my mum recently why I wasn't allowed to put my elbows on the table as a child and she had no answer! I let them eat their food from separate bowls because they don't like it to touch and I'm sure she thinks that's mad too so the pendulum has swung a long way in one generarion! 😂

Kids always sit at the table in our house because they are so messy and I am constantly cleaning up.

I'd have let them eat the pizza on the sofa.

But then I don't have a dining table. Or not an accessible one anyway.

Interesting all the people who wouldn't allow food in their living room. First house DH & I bought didn't have a dining room and kitchen was too small to eat in. Technically we do have a dining room now, but it's kind of open plan with the living room, and DH works in that area.

Of course you eat pizza on the sofa. Yes it is important to eat some meals at the table. However eating take away pizza at the table seems too formal.

Fine to eat on the sofa occasionally. It isn’t clear why you deferred to DH on this though, why not just tell him they were going to be eating where they were?