Dinner on the sofa most nights

[lpylu]

Anyone else? Or is this a strange household habit we have.

My husband and I have been like this since we met 10+ years ago. To start with he lived in a flat without a dining table and then when we moved in it was a small unappealing thing and now we just have no excuse, we eat on the sofa 99% of the time.

We tried to make Sundays a table dinner at 5.00pm with our son but with illness and life we've not succeeded in that for some time.

We absolutely will eat at the table when he is older and his sibling who is on the way.

When our dc were small enough to need an early 5pm dinner dh or I would sit with them in the dining room overseeing dinner time. when they went bed we’d eat later on in the front room on the sofa.
Then we did a nice kitchen extension and built a really big island and we now eat every meal there. I can’t imagine eating off my lap anymore!

Always at the table. Very occasionally take pudding through to the sitting room but it’s not my preference. Eating from the sofa is more uncomfortable than eating at a table, which has been designed for the purpose. I like the demarcation between mealtime and sofa time. Sofa dinner feels a bit like being unshowered and in pyjamas all day.

We had high chair and did purées, blw, risotto, then our meal mushed up a bit, then quickly moved on to ds1 eating the same meal as us. All done at the dining room table.

Almost always at the table. Only exception would be if there was a match or something that people were watching. Surely eating at the kitchen table is more comfortable, sociable and convenient?

I'm not being goady, and I know small DC are tiring but why are you both so exhausted? At 7? You keep saying it!

Regarding eating on the sofa, I've never done it & couldn't imagine it. But like all things, it's personal preference, isn't it?

For those who say they 'slump' on the couch 'watching crap TV', digestively, that's not good. It's a lot better to eat slowly, sitting up, taking pauses to chat etc as typically happens at the dinner table. Watching TV (or scrolling your phone etc) contributes to less mindful eating, meaning you may consume more food than you need.

Every meal at the table here. I'm sure I'd feel more uncomfortable on the sofa slumped over trying to stop a plate from sliding off my lap and trying not to kick the drink over at my feet.

We eat at the table, very occasionally on the sofa but only the adults. I’m pretty clumsy and find I drop bits all over the place on the sofa. Or I have to hold the bowl too close so I eat too fast. So my preference is the table.

We eat at the table for almost all meals. Sometimes we will have a snack like cakes or icecream in front of the telly, and if we have takeaway pizza we eat it there but otherwise always at the table. Ours is comfortable though and meals are chatty.

No table here.

I've always eaten with DC even when they were toddlers. We ate at 5.30pm - 6pm which when DH was in the office meant he ate later or just joined at the end but weekends we were all together.

Then when they were in bed we didn't have to cook again / tidy up it was bliss having such a long evening!

They're 11 and 9 now so don't leave us alone until 8.30/9 by which time I'm ready for bed myself!!!

Very rarely sit at kitchen table. Just me and DH at home now, so we prefer plates on our laps, sitting on the sofa. Always put the tv on whilst eating

We have sat at the table for almost every meal for close to 30 years, eat on the sofa probably half a dozen times a year and as a child I can honestly say I did this 100% of the time. It’s actually very good for child development as a time to chat.

I always eat at the table, but with my laptop so probably not the 'proper' way.
Exception would be finger food as that's the only thing I can handle on the sofa.

Our dining table is used for more non eating things that eating 😂. Our oldest eats up the table for her dinners with her sister in the high chair, we like to eat later but eat on the sofa with trays.

We do go out for dinner about 1-2 times a week though with our two DDs, they don’t have screens for our dinners out but we have activities like colouring and crafts while we wait for the food, we then chat during food. This makes me feel better for our separate and sofa dinners at home 😂.

They have ipad time time when I’m trying to snooze in the morning instead 😂

Just us tends to be on the sofa but if more than 1 dc is here or their dps we sit at the table

I never eat at my table. No clue why I have one

Sometimes eat an early evening meal with my little at the table. Mostly on the sofa though and at a different time to my partner!

Mumsnet is obsessed with everyone eating 3 meals a day round the table together. Apparently your child will never know how to eat at the table otherwise

If we’re eating with DD it’s round the dinner table but if it’s just us then we always eat on trays in the living room. Just habit I think!

No dining table in our house because we don’t want one. No kids. Eat our tea on those bean bag tray things in front of Richard Osman’s House of Games. Anything else would feel bizarre to me.

I didn't know people still ate pudding!

Breakfast, lunch and dinner? How is that possible. Don't your family go out to work/school? Do adults eat at 5 with kids?

We are split down the middle in our house. DD and DH would always slob on sofa given half the chance and DS and I prefer the table unless having pizza, so we do both.

Well, I would say yes. We eat our meals with the kids as far as possible. So yes, we eat earlier than we would perhaps usually do because I think that it’s important that we eat together

I use the table as a desk. We eat on the sofa in front of telly every single day, with teen kids. Also, I do have a desk that I don't use. Maybe we should eat at that?

Growing up it was seen as shameful to do anything other than eat at the table with knives forks manners etc. So when kids were little we did this. It was absolute hell. One day I just thought, why are we doing this? And I couldn't think of a good reason. Chatting still happens in front of telly, bit like the Royle Family.

I remember being forced to stay at the table until all vegetables were eaten. I cannot see why I would do that every day when all of us prefer the tv/sofa option. Life is too short.

If you enjoy the table, go for it. If you are a martyr to it like I was, perhaps reconsider.