How relaxed are you around dinner times?

[PesterPower1]

We eat around 6pm. In recent months, my 15 year old is either out with friends, at the gym or (due to summer holidays) had eaten lunch very late and just isn't hungry until a lot later (and it doesn't suit us to switch dinner to 8.30pm to suit him on occasion!)

Other times, he will be playing a game with mates so will either want to eat at his desk or eat a bit later. And then other times, he eats at the table as normal

It was driving me mad but now I've just decided does it ACTUALLY matter - and I'm just popping his meal on the side, covered, to be reheated

So how strict are you on this? Do you let your teens do as they fancy when it comes to dinner?

We all eat together. Non negotiable. 4 teens.

I WFH, currently on a US project so have later meetings, ds works PT/has social life, dh is self employed and it varies when he is home. We try to make plans in morning that suit all of us and it varies, sometimes ds will make something himself and dh and I will eat later or ds and I'll eat together and dh later or dh will make for all of us and I'll discreetly eat while on a work call 🤣.

No hard rules, we try to eat together as it is usually cheaper /more convienent, but go with the flow. Agree with pp, gaming not an excuse not to come down for dinner when it's ready, ds would come down and discuss when dinner was before going on a game.

We eat dinner 5.30-6 and everyone is hungry for it then so I don't get everyone saying too early lol. Mind you we are up at 6am so early breakfast, lunch around 12 so by half 5 hungry for dinner. DH and I usually in bed by 10 as well so if we ate at 8pm I'd be too full to lay down. This time works well for us at the moment as DH home from work by 5.30 - he used to not get in til 7 so I'd do kids dinner at 5 and then eat with DH at 7 but I'd be starving and end up snacking at 5. Kids are 13,11 and 4 so the 4yo can now hang on for dinner at 5.30/6 but she's in bed 7.15 so couldn't eat later. Occasionally the older two have activities after school so will reheat and I'm sure this will be more frequent as they get older! Weekends we generally eat together unless they are out with friends and eat out.

So tonight, DS (18) cooked dinner between about 6.15 and 7. He ate his with DH and DD (16) before they went to the cinema, I went to an exercise class and my allotment and ate mine at 9. This is not at all unusual, in fact it's very rare for us all to be in all evening. Even if we are all at home we don't necessarily eat together, if someone doesn't fancy the meal that is being cooked they can cook their own later or have a sandwich (that includes me and DH). The DCs are keen cooks so this works well for us.

You may find this thread interesting op. I agree it isn't a hill to die on.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4542933-does-your-teen-eat-meals-with-you?page=1

A bit early for us too - we often eat at 9:00pm - which I’m guessing is a bit late for lots of people. I like to know they aren’t joining us - but it’s not a big deal - we’ve always been a sit around the table and chat over dinner type of family - the teens enjoy it, don’t often miss it - often their friends will join us, if their friends join us, I like the kids to cook or at least shop/plan for it.