Food in the living room

[Whatinthelord]

We eta our meals at the dining table but I let my kids eat a lot of snacks on the sofa in the living room. Either while they are reading or watching TV. But I’m getting fed up with the constant hoovering (because obviously my kids choose the crumbliest snacks know to man).

I always was allowed to eat in the living room and on the sofa growing up (in fact for a large time we had no other option because we didn’t have a dining room or table.)

Just curious if this is normal for all families or if some have kitchen only eating rules for kids?

Anyone got any other tips for minimising snack mess from children (mine are 5 and 7 and should be a lot tidier than they are).

Since we moved to a house with carpets we only eat in the kitchen. We do let dd watch the ipad at the table for lunch time meals like we would let her watch TV in the old house

The DC only really eat in the kitchen here.

If they were eating elsewhere I'd definitely want them to use a plate to minimise crumbs.

I also don't really like them eating mindlessly while doing something else (reading/TV). If they're so hungry they need a snack, they can leave the TV, get up and come to the kitchen. If not they probably don't need a snack and can wait for lunch/dinner.

They only exception to both these rules is popcorn in front of a movie if we're having a movie night. Then I just deal with the crumbs.

Kids aren't allowed to eat outside out of the kitchen/diner/family room which is tiled, they're 10 and 7. No need for it really, we only have a snack in the carpeted living room in the evening and our track record allows us this vs our kids who can somehow make water stain

We eat at the table or in the kitchen. I don’t want grub or crumbs on the sofa or on the floor.

I kinda thought maybe other people didn’t let their kids eat in the living room so much. I’ve allowed it because I used to as a child but it’s so messy.

Might institute a kitchen eating only rule this week (except for movie night). Because I’m really making my life hard by allowing them to eat food all over the place.

My kids eat in the living room and at the table in the kitchen, it depends on what we were eating, how we are feeling, what the weather is like etc. My parents were the same with me and I believe my husbands parents weren’t overly strict about eating at the table.
Obviously my children use plates and sometimes trays, most of my family members and their children eat in their living rooms as well.

@EmpressSuiko I wouldn’t mind continuing if my kids weren’t so awfully messy. Both mine are quite sensory seeking and always end up doing things like dipping their hands into their orange juice etc.

Mine eat snacks in the lounge but must always have a bowl. If it's something really messy I get them to sit at the table. They like a carpet picnic for lunch sometimes, so we put down a blanket, they eat on that and then I shake it out after. I just feel it's too rigid to say they must always eat in the kitchen. They have set snack times and I control what they eat, so I'm not concerned about them 'mindlessly eating in front of the TV.' I am a tidy person, but I want them to feel comfortable in their home. Reminds me of that episode in Friends where Phoebe eats a biscuit over the sink so she doesn't upset Monica!

My kids eat in the living room but on a tray on the floor. I don't allow food on the sofa due to crumbs and spillage.

@Whatinthelord my youngest was a nightmare, he is better now but still makes a mess. I’m in the same situation as you, constantly hoovering up crumbs and I can’t even remember how many drinks have been spilled. I still let them eat in there though as it’s a comfort, we enjoy having movie nights and prefer being cosy than sitting up at the table.

Meals at the table in dining room, snacks anywhere. Sometimes a tray in the sitting room if wanting to watch something. That was when I had children at home. Now it's nearly always on a tray.

I never cared about mess. Yes I know I'm a slob :-), but as long as nothing was permanently stained it didn't matter.

Depends on the snack I suppose, if it's cookies/crisps then sofas fine and I just get the Hoover out, it's not hard is it? jelly or ice cream, that's a table job, still within our carpeted living room though as kitchen is an L shape and wouldn't fit a table.

When the children were smaller it was all meals and snacks at the table, and no cups upstairs.

Only drink allowed upstairs was water and no refills unless the glass was brought back down. Or fill it with bathroom water and everyone knows that is practically poison! :o
I cannot be doing with festering plates and cups on windowsills or all the glasses going AWOL

Occasional meals on lap/tray or coffee table for a movie night, but use plates, don't make crumbs and no wiping of hands anywhere inappropriate.

You remember eating in the living room as a child but is it possible that this was only from when you were older? My children are 4 and 7 and they are only allowed to eat in the kitchen and dining room where there are no carpets! They can also eat at a table in the garden. This has always been my rule and they don’t question it.

@Applesandpears23 no I did it at all ages. We ate everything in front of the Tv, even when we had a dining table. Of course I don’t remember mess being an issue when I was a kid 😂 funny how our perspective changes isn’t it.

@EmpressSuiko I think they fact they looks so cosy and relaxed is why I let them eat in the living room. They just looked so chilled. Maybe I should just go for a shop and buy all the non crumbly/messy snacks I can Find.

Food at the kitchen table. Exceptions made for the odd treat like popcorn for a film. If they were less messy I'd probably be more flexible.

How about involve them on the decision?

Have a family meeting and explain that you are sick of having to clean up crumbs in the lounge room. They probably have no idea as they don't notice and it gets cleaned up anyway.

You can tell them there are three options. 1. Either they can only be allowed to eat at the kitchen table, except for a list of exceptions that you draw up that you know don't make crumbs eg apples (as long as they put the core in the bin when finished) etc. 2. They can learn to vacuum, and take it in turns to vacuum the lounge room including the sofa every weekend. 3. They can eat whatever they like in the lounge room as long as they are very careful and use a plate, bowl or tray and clean up any spillage themselves at the time with a battery powered hand-held vacuum (and you'll continue to do the weekly vacuums). If they pick option 2 or 3 it is up for review every week, if they haven't been holding up their end of the deal you reserve the right to make it option 1 for a period of time until they're willing to put more effort into option 2 or 3 again. Option 2 is only satisfactory on review if they do a good job and don't miss a lot when they do the vacuuming each weekend and option 3 is only satisfactory if there are never crumbs and they don't forget to use a plate / clean up if they spill anything. You also reserve the right to go nuclear and ban all eating in the lounge room if they are on option 1 and they leave apple cores in the sofa for eg

Oh and the guidelines for if they are successful with option 2 or 3 is they don't leave plates and bowls etc in the lounge room, they have to remember to take them back to the kitchen and scrape off the scraps into the bin

Meals are at the table 99% of the time. Occasionally I allow a sandwich on the sofa if it’s just elder DD.

Snacks - depends on what it is. My kids snack on crackers/breadsticks, fruit & rice cakes. If they want butter or peanut butter on their crackers, they eat at the table. If it’s dry, they can eat anywhere. Rice cakes they eat anywhere. Fruit - younger DD (15 months) at the table. Elder DD who is 4 eats anywhere usually although strawberries/raspberries I tend to say table.

They do make crumbs but I just Hoover round every night after bedtime. Takes 5 mins & I’m already tidying up the bomb site of a living they inevitably left (toys etc). No big deal.

Simple, don’t snack! Really bad habit!
Ear at meals, at the table.

Mine always ate at the table. I'm still recovering from the sensory comment and a 5 and 7 year old putting their hands in the orange juice . I'd have banned the orange juice let alone eating in the sitting room.

I think op, you need to start teaching them some table manners and that starts with sitting at the table and using a knife and fork.

We have snacks and the occasional meal on the sofa. I tend to not give snacks that are too messy when on the sofa. My son is 4 so I can still pick his snacks. Sometimes I'll put a blanket over him to collect the mess as it's easier to remove that.

We eat all our food in the living room as we just find it comfortable to do so. We actually got rid of our table in the kitchen because we all hated sitting at it…! Ds aged 9 is the youngest and messiest in our family so when he eats I just give him the largest plate possible even for a small snack and he eats with a clean tea towel underneath the plate - makes a good crumb collector!

@KangarooSally that’s actually a fab idea! I will do that. Then it’s a bit of choice and responsibility for them. Because really it’s not the snacking I mind it is the fact I have to clear up a bit mess of crumbs every time. They’re generally quite good at not spilling drinks, taking plates back to the kitchen etc.

Thanks for the suggestion.

@RosesAndHellebores my children’s table manner when eating ah the table are fairly standard. It’s snacking mess that’s the issue. The sensory thing isn’t ideal but it sort of comes with the territory of children with sensory needs, but we are working on it.

Generally no food outside the kitchen in our house, for children or adults, apart from on special occasions, but drinks are acceptable.

We have a big kitchen with a sofa anyway, so there's still somewhere comfortable to sit.

I wouldn't have one rule for children and another for adults, that seems a bit unfair.