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).

Hi there, my dc(5) eats popcorn (small pack) which I empty into a large-ish bowl and this somewhat minimises mess...

I mean an Issue I forgot to mention was my dh is currently working from the kitchen. So easier to keep the kids away while he is making calls etc too.

Damn covid home working

We tend to do fruit for snacks which I’m fine with on the sofa as long as it’s not something really juicy. An apple can’t really make a mess! I also make mine drink out of water bottles unless at the dining table as no spill, can take it anywhere, and minimises the washing up.

Drives me potty and I like our kids to eat all food at the table, they are a bunch of scruffs who make far too much mess when eating. No food or drink is allowed upstairs either.

Dd is allowed to eat on the sofa, but must have a blanket down, have a plate or bowl and a piece of kitchen towel to wipe hands/mouth. We use lidded straw cups or drinking bottles.

If ours snack i front room, we give them a bowl to try and contain mess, and hand wash straight after, otherwise it's food in kitchen only. We do have pizza film night on a Friday, and put the picnic rug down for that (so can shake crumbs off easily).

When we moved to this house the kids were 3 and 8 months, it was the first time we had had a front room/ living room that wasn't the dining room as well and we bought a relatively expensive sofa. So from the get-go the rule was no food or drink in the front room for kids, including visitors. We did have another rule for adults and nobody got upset about that.
Ten years on, as they have got older and the sofas have also got older and tattier the rule has gradually relaxed without us actually saying it has, and now they will take some snacks/ drinks into the front room and we won't say anything about it. I definitely notice there is a lot more Hoovering to be done in that room now though.
When I was little we didn't have any rules, we only had one downstairs room apart from the kitchen and we ate most of our meals in front of the TV anyway.

I tried that but we were the ones breaking the rules. Dinner is at the table, snacks are wherever but they clean up, if your dc are quite small they can still use a mini vacuum!

Update.
I offered them the option of eating snacks in the kitchen or eating in the living and clearing up any mess themselves. Son happily ate in the kitchen, daughter ate in living room then refused to clear up mess. So after explaining she didn’t stick to the deal she is now having snacks in the living room.

I think we’ll stick to the kitchen eating but routinely give them the option to eat in the living room if they tidy up after. I think that’s fair.

Also that’s a rule for all. As we adults only eat in the living room because we tidy up after.