Kitchen island or keep table and chairs?

[Smorgs]

We are redoing our kitchen at IKEA. It's 5.4m x 3.8m and currently we have a small four seater table and chairs in the centre. The main dining table is just next door in a large living/dining room. Our DC are 5 and 3 and I like the way they can eat in the kitchen, draw, do playdoh or Lego at the table.
We are planning on putting in an island in - two standard cabinets with drawers with a worktop that overhangs on one long side and the two short sides.
However now I'm worried - will I be lifting heavy children onto bar stools forever, picking up dropped Lego/pens/toys etc? Also is an island that size and shape really practical for family meals? I'd rather save the dining table next door for when we are entertaining as I find it more practical to eat in the kitchen when it's just us.
Any thoughts?

Keep the table. It’s more flexible.

We had a similar set up to you and changed to an island. The main reason was that we needed more storage space so the island was useful for that. As there are only 2 of us we can still eat our family meals in the kitchen. We also have the bar stools with a back.

Table without a doubt.
I've had both. In a huge kitchen. It's true the island looks good but it's a permanent fixture. I got rid of mine in the end, I actually had a table and chairs as well and I just preferred the space, especially when DC were little.

We had a similar set up and knocked through a large open double doorway into the dining room. Breakfast and dc meals are eaten at the island but family meals/homework/crafts etc at the dining table. For us it made for a far better family space, without going completely open plan.

Table and chairs every time.

Friend who got rid of hers and had a fancy island instead - with high and not very comfortable stools - bitterly regretted it afterwards.

An extending table is versatile and can always go up against the wall when fewer places are needed.

I have an island and DC 2 and 4 - very happy with the solution as I can cook and still help them while they draw or do their crafts, and we eat all the meals there (unless we have guests). Only thing you need is bar stools that are sturdy and where they can get up and down themselves.

I like a table. We can all eat sociably and it's like a low height worktop that is useful for if I'm lazy and want to sit down, or if they children are cooking.

That said, the island design you're suggesting does sound really good and would be sociable for meals.

Could you have some thing like this- my friend has & says it works really well.

FWIW we've had an island since youngest child was 4 I think and it's never been a problem.

Bar stools are not good for young, old nor short people. I am older and short. Choose the table and chairs.

Don’t have the overhang. It means you must have bar stools.

What you should have is a lower “table” attached to the end of the work surface. This means you could have benches or chairs around it. You could even have storage under it. It gives you the best of both. Two separate tables seems a bit daft when you can have a lovely island combined with a low end that won’t mean you lifting heavy children! Check out some designs from high end kitchen manufacturers and copy them.

Exactly as name changed has posted!

Thanks namechanged and bubbles, that is a great idea! Wonder how I'd make it work with IKEA stuff though? Do you fix the table to the island?