Do you eat your evening meal with your toddler?

[TotallyCommitted]

We have always given our 2 year olds her evening meal about 5pm then we eat a separate meal together once she's in bed. She won't eat anything we eat and won't really sit at a table for more than two minutes before running off to play so we have prioritised a nice relaxing dinner together each night - although it's creeping later these days.

Does anyone else do this? She's a fussy eater and I'm starting to think we should all eat together to try and improve her eating habits.

We do this!

Did the same as you until about 2 and half. My daughter's habits were as you describe. Since then we've been eating together more and overall it has helped. She stays at the table even if she isn't into what we're serving. It helps that she is nearly 3 now so we eat at 5.45/6 instead of 5-5.30.

We do the same as you. We sit down for dinner after DS's bath/bed and enjoy it in peace if he lets us!

If my husband is working late then i’ll have dinner with my toddler.

The work days he is at home we eat after she goes to bed, its bit of nice couple time as well for us.

We try to do one sit down family meal on a weekend if we can as I think it’s good for DD to have that as well and get used to it but generally she is like your daughter, doesn’t want to sit for too long

We all sit down together as a family and eat the same thing. I think that’s why DS is a confident eater but we most often eat ‘thaali’ style which is a traditional Indian / Asian way.

So we tend to have lots of side dishes that are served together rather than a single main course. Even lasagna or pasta salad might have 2-3 veg dishes on the side.

When he sees us eat something he almost wants to try it. If he doesn’t like it afterwards and chucks it fair enough but he usually does eat most of the food on his plate.

We did, yes. I always wanted to include mine and sitting around the table, eating, is nice. When he was a baby I'd have him next to the table, even if asleep, and as soon as he was in a high chair he would join us. He was a good eater!

Nope, always sat down together unless we're planning a romantic dinner about twice a year. It's really important to me.and I think the only way to teach table manners is to model them.

DS has dinner at nursery before we pick him up on weekdays. But on weekends we try to eat together as I do think it helps with his confidence in trying new foods. This weekend he ate a bit of scallops and creamed spinach!

It's a bit weird eating dinner at 5pm, but just means DH and I have a snack after he's in bed.

When we can (work and after school commitments for older DC) we do and my toddler eats much better for it.

I really like eating as a family. I was a 8pm eater prekids and it does take some getting used to but I don’t understand separate meals unless it’s necessary.

We always eat together. Ds is 11 months. Eat between 6-7pm. No idea if it’s helped but he generally eats most things and seems happy so far to stay seated. This could change obviously with age. He goes to bed at 8pm

Yes we eat together, a habit we got into in first lockdown with everyone at home, and now we continue. DD is 2.5, we eat at 5pm. All eat the same... sometimes she doesn't like it, but she does at least usually try it. We also try to have her sit with us even when she doesn't want to eat. I think a lot of people have poor habits around food, and I felt this is one thing we can easily do to encourage good habits for DD.

Yes, we have always sat and eaten dinner with our dc. We still do 95% of the time. I think it's important to sit and eat together imo. My dc eat what we eat, there's no choice on dinner really, they wouldn't know that it's an even a thing to be honest. We are lucky that they like most foods, but then I wonder are they just that way because they see us eat most things.

Yes, we eat with our 1.5yo most of the time. Its early at 5.30/6 which took some getting used to but its really nice to sit down altogether.

He eats nicely and will sit at the table for a good amount of time. We all eat the same food. I think him watching us has made a big difference compared to friends babies who've been spoon fed separately fromt he family.

It’s also a time thing. If we all eat together it one lot of prep and tidying up. Like I said sometime between 6-7pm here, so it’s nice that by 7ish everyone had eaten and kitchen tidied. By the time baby is in bed and asleep, I wouldn’t have the energy to start cooking again at 8.30pm. It’s just time to relax after

We eat with my son at 5pm, it took a while to get used to but I personally like and feel it's important to sit down as a family all together every day. I appreciate if you travel a long way to work or work shifts then this isn't always possible. It also helps with our intermittent fasting to eat early and not again until morning.

Yes always together except Saturday when dp and I eat together with wine later

We eat 6.00-6.30 though, not at 5. I'm not up for eating dinner at 5.

DD (22 months) eats a main meal at nursery at lunch, plus a small tea, and we then have dinner with her at about 5:30/6ish. She only has a small amount and it’s more to get her trying different foods with no pressure because she’s already eaten. She was getting quite fussy about dinners on the weekends and it was stressing me out. This way she tries different meals but without me projecting my stress about her eating (I have some food issues).

We used to do what you did but since lockdown (and now I’m on mat leave) we’ve all eaten together at 5.30/6. I really enjoy it and I think it’s great for DC1 who is now almost 3. It will be harder once I’m back in the office but going to try to make it work at least a few days a week when I’m wfh plus the weekends. DH and I do have a takeaway once a week and will give DC something quick on that day then enjoy takeaway in peace later.

Separately during the week. Even wfh I don’t usually finish work until about 6.30pm. When commuting I would get back about 7pm.

An adult does always sit at the table with them though (usually their nanny at dinner time). And we aim to have at least one evening meal together at the table on the weekend (plus almost all breakfasts and lunches).

Yes 2yo DS has tea at nursery at about 15:30, then eats with us at 18:00. It's generally the same as what we're eating, maybe a slightly modified version. He's a good eater.

We eat separately, I like having my chilled out dinner with DH later in the evening.

Sort of. DS has his dinner at 6pm and I only cook once, so we either eat with him, or eat the same thing a bit later. i don't love eating at 6, but I suck it up and do it because I want to do family dinners and he eats better if we're eating too.

At the weekends we generally do a big family lunch and a snacky dinner, so he might eat on his own then, and then we'll just snack in front of the TV when he's in bed.

Like @Vooga we have dinner with our 17 month old every night about 5:30-6pm except Saturdays. We both have early lunches at work so are ready to eat at this time. Saturdays DD has something from the freezer and we have a grown up dinner once she's in bed.

I find it encourages us to all eat healthier when we eat together. Then DD doesn't realise we eat the crap food and takeaways when she's asleep