Does anyone else's toddler eat with them at around 6.30ish?

[Gateau]

My DH doesn't get in until this time, so it has just evolved that this is the time we all eat tea. (my DS is 20 months).
And I must admit, we like it like this, although it does mean DS doesn't go to bed until 8-8.30 or even later.
But we seem to be the only ones who do this. Most people I know feed their kids at 5-5.30pm and then eat their meal afterwards when they are in bed. But this just doesn't seem to work for us. That said, I am thinking of changing the routine as lately DS is just not going to bed until about 10.30! I am worried he is not getting a proper wind-down before bed-time.
Does anyone do similiar to me?

We have always eaten together, at the dining table as a family at approx 6:30. DD9 accepts that this is normal family practice. It is a great routine to start, because it is a time for all the family to chat and plan ahead.

btw i totally agree with greyskull - you know your family's needs and what suits you. there's no one right way to do things, i like to hear what works for different people as it often opens my eyes to possibilities i hadn't considered.

Thanks for tips re routine as you have helped me identify the problem - I hope!!??
I think the problem is that we are lingering too long after our tea and giving DS an opportunity to play and get hyped up.
From tonight onwards, it'll be tea, Night Garden, milk and bed.
I'm wondering if we can somehow skip the milk: he's 20 months old. Is bedtime milk still a necesstiy at his age? AM trying to wean him off the bootle too - impossible. Any tips on this too?

we have alwasy eaten together around 6-6:30ish
dd is teen but ds then goes to bed around 7:30-8.He is 6 now but we have always done it like this
Works for us and we really enjoy sitting down together.

bottle.
Sorry tpo ask for tips on so many things. But you all seem really helpful so.....

Do you worry about your children eating so close to bedtime? Some of the posts I've read on this thread, children are eating less than two hours before they sleep, that cannot be healthy surely

We all eat together at 6 - 6.30ish (2.8 yr old dd and 8 mnth old ds).

Not sure what an earlier poster meant by not wanting to eat food acceptable to children - it's just food innit? Lasagne, curry, stew, pasta, risotto...

After supper we're a bit guided by the children really. If they're tired we put them to bed, if they're not we might have a play in the bath or some quiet time with stories or a game or something, then bed at the first yawn.

perfectly healthy afaik

We do bath etc before dinner so we all eat together at 7:30 with the DC already in PJ's, then it's reading and bed at 8:30.

same food here too occasionally with extra spice or an extra side dish for the grown ups, dd will often try new food over a period of time going from looking with interest to handling it to taste then actually eating it

although we are going through a phase of 'nothing green it tastes of vitamins'

6.30 is a bit late for mine, as DS2 is usually in bed then, and DS1 usually zonks out at 7pm. Half the week i try and make sure we eat around 5-ish together, the other half we eat in peace in the living room when they're in bed. It's just the right balance for us- sometimes eating with toddlers is a messy bore, and somtimes i want cuddle up on the sofa and eat alone with DH.

i wonder whether our kids take after their parents when it comes to bedtimes? we're very much night owls - an early night is before midnight - and although we've never particularly encouraged late nights neither of ours has really been ready to settle much before 8. i have to say i really appreciate the 7.30/8 o'clock wakeups

This thread is making me feel a bit guilty, as I feed dd2 (21 months) as early as possible (4-4.30pm sometimes) and then pack her off to bed by at least 7pm so that I can relax with just me and dp. I am a very bad person aren't I?

lol pm i really don't think anyone on this thread is being judgey - whatever works for you. we've tried to do early bedtimes (would lurve more quality couple time) and dds are just i don't think so

PuppyMonkey - You are not a bad person. You have made a choice which works for your family. Some of us have made a different choice which works well for us but I would never want to impose it on you. And I envy you your couple time!

We all eat together at about 6/6.15pm (unless kids are v tired or hungry), my dds are 4.9 and 22 months. It's a bit of a rush but they're in bed by about 7.30pm.

It doesn't really matter what anyone does, you just do whatever suits your family.

I thought it was unhealthy to eat so close to bedtime, I didnt think going to bed with a full stomach was a good idea. Isnt that a cause of obesity?

So good to see so many replies to this thread. DD is 16 months, has her dinner 7/7.30pm milk 8/8.30pm and bed 8.30/9.00pm. No routine except put her toys away before her milk. We used to put her to be between 9-10pm but brought it forward without any noticeable difference in the time she wakes up.

I agree with puppydetox - we are night owls and dd seems to have inherited this - she wakes between 8-9am. She generally still has 2 naps in the day as well.

we alwyas eat together at 6, ds is finished by 6.15, plays for a bit, has a quick bath and a story and is in bed by 7. Works really well for us although I am thinking about making tea a bit earlier so the we can take our time as I have to feed both dc's at the same time.

Tend to agree with you there, puppydetox. An early nighjt for us is 11pm. But I don;t need much sleep and - if I have a nights' unbroekn sleep - can get up again the next morning at 6am and go to work.
Gosh, puppy monkey, 4-3.30 is very early for tea. But horses for courses, eh?

Mine, aged 11, 9 and 2, have a snack after school at 5pm, then we all eat dinner together at 7.30-ish.

DH is French, we live in France and that's how they do things, so we always have and it is definitely good for us - dinner time is when we all talk the most about things.

Yes mine does. DH insists that it is too late but that is what works for us, he rarely see's our daytime routine due to him being at work. He thinks that 6:30pm is too late for the dd's aged 18 months and five years. But I think its nice to eat togther and it fits in with our routines.

DD2 always gets up after DD1 so doesnt have breakfast untill after the school run at about 9:15am
She has lunch at 1pm with me
DD1 gets an after school snack before dance class and DD2 gets something to snack on at the same time, normally yoghurt and fruit. This is at about 3:30pm.

yep, castille, I like the continental way of children still being up for mealtimes, in restaurants, even if it's 11pm!
And they behave very well too!

i think consuming significantly more calories than you expend is the cause of obesity

we all have dinner together at around 6.30 -7 pm.

I have 5 dc, and dh is a dairy farmer.

Usually try to get them bathed before tea, and then we can all eat together.

have always done this with all of them, and they all usually have a snack ( normally fruit, sometimes toast or a biscuit) at about half 3 when they get home, before we go outside to do the ponies and feed the calves.

If I fed them earlier, I just wouldn't fit everything in, and I would literally be cooking all day, as dh comes in for a cooked breakfast at about half 9 and in for lunch , and this time of year he likes something nice and warm!

Some people think it's odd, but it suits us.

Would say it does impact on bedtime though (which is ok with me as I don't mind them going a bit later)