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Original poster

is there a family out there who still all eat together around the table?

144 replies

cutekids · 23/01/2006 19:36

just wondering as it's very rare that we do. hubbie comes in fairly late at night-if he's not working away!-and i can't keep the kids waiting for their tea so they have theirs when they come home from school.

OP posts:
bobbybobbobbingalong · 24/01/2006 01:52

We do 5 times a week. The other 2 I am working so dh eats with ds. I have had the opportunity to work more this year, but I would rather us all sit down and eat and then come back to work once ds is in bed.

MadMaz · 24/01/2006 01:55

oops. slobby mummy. high days and holidays. trays, at the PC, whenever I or she get the time or the inclination. We like cooking together though.

Wordsmith · 24/01/2006 06:47

Yes - weekends and 2 nights a week - and every breakfast. Other days, The DSs have their main meal at school/nursery and they do beans on toast etc in front of the TV, and then DH and I have lovely meals that the kids wouldn't eat (spicy stuff with loads of veg! Or takeaways ) on trays in front of TV after they've gone to bed.

A healthy balance I think!

tatt · 24/01/2006 07:03

whenever we have visitors Always sit visiting children (well that's most of our visitors) at the table. Rest of the time we usually eat together but not always from the table.

Auntymandy · 24/01/2006 07:09

whenever we can yes!
DH works evenings so he doesnt eat with us,teenage ds WONT eat with us except special occasions, but the rest of us sit t the table most nights

FairyMum · 24/01/2006 07:09

Yes, I eat at the table with my children every night and DH joins us at the weekend.

marialuisa · 24/01/2006 09:12

yes, always supper, breakfast and lunch at the w/e.

HRHQueenOfQuelNoel · 24/01/2006 09:13

breakfasts are impossible - take this morning for instance. I came in from work at 7.15am - don't usually eat breakfast but was ravenous so had a coffee and toast. DS1 had to be woken up at 8am to get ready for school so had his breakfast then, DS2 woke up at 8.50 - so he's having his breakfast now I've dropped DS1 off. DH is still in bed as because of the hours we both work we alternate lie-ins - and it's his turn this morning.

Mytwopenceworth · 24/01/2006 09:19

yes, as often as we can. also have relatives for meals from time to time and all squash round table - much fun!!

MarsOnLife · 24/01/2006 09:21

Yes, us.

Bozza · 24/01/2006 09:25

Yes we do. I work Tues-Thurs. On these days DH and DS breakfast together, DD has hers at nursery and I buy toast at work. But we all eat together at about 6-6.15 pm. On Mon and Fri I will eat breakfast with DS and DD (quite often DH too), then lunch with DD, then dinner all of us. Then weekends we eat all our meals together, except DH is out playing golf at Saturday lunchtime. We always eat in the kitchen, unless we have visitors and won't fit. Then we move into the dining room.

Bozza · 24/01/2006 09:26

Prior to kids we would eat at about 7.30 to 8 pm so we have moved earlier to accommodate them. I give them a snack after school to keep them going.

RachD · 24/01/2006 09:30

Dh, myself and ds, nearly 2, eat at the table every night.
Always have done.
To us personally, it is a very big part of family life.

RachD · 24/01/2006 09:30

Dh, myself and ds, nearly 2, eat at the table every night.
Always have done.
To us personally, it is a very big part of family life.

Marina · 24/01/2006 09:30

Yes, breakfast has gone slightly pear-shaped these days but we eat an evening meal together every night and all meals as a family at the weekend. As we both WOTH full-time, I see a family meal daily as a high priority but as cod says, relaxing it is NOT. It is really hard work as we tend to cook from scratch or reheat home-made stuff, but worth it IMO.

Mistymoo · 24/01/2006 09:34

We eat together everyday. Breakfast and dinner.
We eat lunch together as well at the weekend and I eat lunch with dd when I am at home with her.

I was brought up that way and so have just carried it on. We are very fortunate that dh has a 9 - 5 job and that he is normally home by 5.30 so we can all eat together.

PeachyClair · 24/01/2006 10:19

Dinner every day bar one a week, which is 'our' day. Never breakfast (hurry / dh's shifts) sometimes lunch. We went out last year and bought a huge table to enable us to do this, it's important to us.

Enid · 24/01/2006 10:25

breakfast
and lunch at weekends

Piffle · 24/01/2006 10:26

IF DP is not here (he is working away a lto at moment and it sually away 2 nights a week)
The rest of us always eat together.

QE2 · 24/01/2006 10:27

Yes we do, every night, all of us.

Very occasionally with a takeaway we will sit in front of the tv but that is very rare.

Proper table mats, coasters, cutlery laid out, candles in the middle, every night.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

NomDePlume · 24/01/2006 10:27

We do. Every weeknight DH, DS1 (13.5), DS2 (12) and I sit around the table and eat our evening meal (at 7.30ish). DD (3) eats at around 5pm and is in bed when we eat. Weekends we eat at least 2 meals a day together (all 5 of us) around the table.

Bozza · 24/01/2006 10:29

Oh QE2 that is impressive. We have a pile of cutlery thrown into the middle of the table.

moondog · 24/01/2006 10:41

Oh Bozza..that sounds so joyless.
(No wonder you're on the Bisto!)

NomDePlume · 24/01/2006 10:42

we have table mats and coasters and cutlery , but no candles.

Enid · 24/01/2006 10:42

I couldnt bear to eat with the kids every night

too 'nursery' for me