Do I really have to change my meal time?

[Novascotia33]

Hi everyone, I've been accustomed to putting DS 2.5 and DD 6mnths to bed, and then nice food and wine with my OH, and a bit of grown up time.

In order to eat at the table with my DS We'd have to eat at about 6, then put him to bed at 7ish.

What does everyone else do, I'm not of course saying I dont want to eat supper with my kids ever, and as they grow they'll stay up later, and that'll be great. But my mum says if I don't eat with them each evening in general, they'll have bad table manners. Is she right or is that just rubbish. A friend said, I'll have to cook two suppers etc. But to be honest, I wouldn't mind that at all.

I'm interested in what everyone else does, or how it works for them.

We do enjoy lunches at the table all together at the weekend (is that not enough when they're this little?) Am I just being difficult for not being able to sit and eat at 6, it seems so bloody early to me.

DS1 2.6, DS2 6 months, DH and I eat together at 6. Its only really happened in the last couple of months since DS1 has been able to eat later and its great. I only have to make one meal, DS1 eats better, tries more new things, DS2 gets to play with bits and bobs of what we are eating and we get to have a family chat before putting the boys to bed. It also means that once the kids are settled in bed (usually by 7.30) that we have all night to do stuff. I also find it better as I am not going to bed on a full stomach which suits me better.
Agree about the idea of helping to develop better table manners although no sign of that here yet !

i find all this quite tricky. if i wait for dp it ends up being really late by the time kids in bed, and then having to clear the kitchen as well - it's knackering. so i quite often eat with the kids at 5.30(!!!) which means I can clear up the kitchen before their bed, leave dp something to warm up and actually have an evening that's not all about clearing up the ktichen. Other nights i do eat with dp though tbh it's usually on our laps in front of telly.

I wish we could all eat together as a family, as we do at weekends, as ideally i'd liek the children to eat with us, but impossible to have all ways.