Do you or did you eat dinner with your children?

[RedRobyn2021]

DD is 3 and we always have eaten breakfast lunch and dinner at the table together (unless she's at preschool then she has lunch there). This does mean dinner for her has been quite late so she could eat with her dad when he's home for 5:45/6

I've noticed a lot of parents don't do this, that their kids eat early and then the parents eat later

Just wondering what other people's set up is and why you've chosen that way

We eat at 6 with DS 3, in preschool. Not really another way of doing it when working but we don't find it too lateabd saves the hassle of cooling 2 meals. Generally a quick dip in the bath after then bed at 7.30 ish so a bit rushed but manageable x

Yes always as a family when DH home, 6:15ish

DC eats at 5, DH doesn't finish work til 7 so we eat then. DC will still be up though and eats a lot so she joins us if she's still hungry.

Always eat as a family (kids age 4-12) usually around 6:30/7 but flexible depending on wheat time work finishes and clubs.

We try to always eat as a family and eat the same thing - that's how I was raised and i think its important. Ive never really got the hang of timings though- the kids need snacks to tide them over until the later family dinner hour of 6-7pm (as their body clock would have them eat at 5ish). on difficult or lazy days we just cba so we will give the kids an early freezer dinner and get takeaway or make something nice after they go to bed.

My children always had supper about 6 ish when they were little. Once teenagers they just ate around their schedules. Husband has always been a late eater . So as a Mum ,meals as a family have been rubbish TBH ! Despite that they are fully functioning ,sociable adults.

Yes we always eat dinner together but she only 5 so not sure how long it will last.

Our kids are 6 and 2, we have always eaten as a family almost all of the time that it is possible. At the moment DH and I get a takeaway once a fortnight when the kids are in bed so we don't eat with them then but that's it really. Our evening meal is usually around 6/6.15pm.

Not on weekdays. I mean I sat with them but my DH didn't come home till 8 so I ate with him. As the children aged we ate more together (my DH passed away when they were young so I just ate with them). Now I eat with my DD, but we are usually watching TV. My son has left home but in the last few years at home he cooked his own meals and ate when he wanted to. Now when he visits we all eat together at the table.

@Artesia Yeah - it's a compromise to accommodate our desire to have main meal together each day as a family. We're mostly early risers, so shifting our eating pattern a bit earlier in the day a bit was feasible for us.

We eat our evening meal together. It hasn't always been easy with two parents working full-time but we have managed it and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Yes, we always have eaten together, generally at around 6.30 when the children were little and now at around 7. If someone has an evening activity, they eat a snack beforehand and reheat their meal when they get home.

My mum's French, and we spent a lot of my childhood in France, and I find the whole concept of an early dinner dinner or separate meals for children and adults very alien to my experience, so it's not something I ever considered, and I do think eating the same meal at the same time is a good thing whenever it's possible, even though there are plenty of circumstances which make other options better for that particular family.

Always eaten together at a normal dinner time, around 7.30pm. Same food too, just a little adjustment when our child was very little to reduce salt and spices. I like cooking and for us it is important to all eat together, exposing our child to all foods we enjoy as adults. I just wish restaurants could do smaller portions of their 'adult' menu rather than the usual kids offering, but that's for another conversation.

A parent always eats with the children. two Dcs aged 14 and 12. right from the beginning- but it was more difficult when I had a very long commute and was not home until 9 pm. Then DH ate with the DCs at around 6 pm. But we always ate together at the weekends. Now thankfully I am closer and we all eat together 'after The Simpsons' which the Dcs watch with DH.

We also are lucky enough to always eat breakfast at the dining table in the morning before school- because their school is on the way to my work so we eat at 7 am then leave around 7.20 am.

But, DH and I don't mind eating very early. Then we clean up and have an evening together.

*eta because the Simpsons used to be on at 6 and now it is at 6.30.

Kids age 6 and 9. We usually eat as a family around 6pm during the week. All the same meal (maybe some slight variations). Swimming lesson night they have to eat about 4.30 as lessons are at 6 so DH and I usually have dinner later that night.

Weekends we have lunch together but DH and I often have a nicer later dinner on our own or a takeaway.

We've always done this. We used to pick them up from nursery at 5pm and at least one parent would be eating dinner with them by 5.45pm. We still eat the majority of meals together even now they're teenagers. And we've always eaten the same thing as I refuse to cook multiple meals (except when we have freezer surprise and eat up all the leftovers in the freezer).

Both DC are now great eaters, prefer home cooked and healthy food (they're desperate to get home from holidays for home cooking) even if they enjoy the odd meal out or takeaway. They're both also pretty good cooks with good table manners.

We've always eaten together, later if necessary depending on when everyone got in. I think sitting down together with no distractions is important (although as a child/teen I'd eat whilst reading if I could get away with it).

We've always eaten with the children, bar the odd occasion if we were having a special meal e.g on an anniversary.

From 2 ish onwards, we all ate dinner at 5:30-6 when DH got home from work. When they were babies, I'd give them tea at around 4 and then they'd still join us at the table in their highchair and I'd give them a few bits of finger food off our plates or a wooden spoon / book to play with to keep them occupied.

Yes usually we do. Exception is nursery days (3) as by the time we get home, it’s pretty much bed time and she’s had all her meals there. I think it’s such an important thing to do

Kids have dinner after school, they will snack too much otherwise. I eat when I can.

We've never really done it.

Every now and then I'd feel guilty and like I was failing them by not having the eat together discuss your day family time that everyone said was vital so I'd force it but we all hated it and it never lasted. It was bloody torture for all of us.

Now they're adults and we each just grab something when we're hungry.

What works best for us is food is just food, eat when you want to, it's not family time.

We've always eaten with DD but both work from home (and we love intermittent fasting) so we moved our dinner time early which works for her and works for our IF lifestyles.

We always eat dinner together and I cook the same for everyone. We eat at 6pm (expect the two days when I’m in the office). This is a very important time for us as a family and a time when DS (7) pitches in and helps set the table, clear the table, take garbage out etc…

I find it Bizarre to not eat with your kids.

Yes I always did, although years ago DH would have his later when he got in from work as it was around kid's bedtimes.

Once he was wfh more we would all eat together.

But you know that it's not possible the two days you're in the office so it's hardly beyond your imagination surely that for some families that is what it's like every weekday