Evening meal
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=39934
Printed Date: 29 August 2025 at 12:18pm
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Topic: Evening meal
Posted By: AandCsmum
Subject: Evening meal
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 5:47pm
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Just curious to see how many eat their evening meal all together & when in general do you mostly eat that meal.
We all eat together when DH gets home so around 6pm & we eat it at the dinner table. Before #2 came along we'd half & half eat at the dinner table but mostly on our knees in front of TV, now with #2 TV is turned off or muted & we all sit together. We don't really do it as a social thing but more because it's easier for #2 to eat for himself if he's not also trying to balance his food. Plus he seems to eat better & the social aspect goes a long with it all. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Replies:
Posted By: crafty1
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:05pm
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We eat together at the table at 5.30 when dh gets home.
I got sick of doing a dinner for the boys and then another dinner for us, plus the clean up each time. Just easier although it took us a while to get used to having dinner at 5.30. Another good thing about it is that when the boys are in bed it's our time. Before we would cook at 7, eat at 7.30, do dishes etc and so it was about 8 before we could sit down and chill out. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Mum2ET
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:14pm
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We eat around 5pm (any later and Tom gets really grumpy). During the weekdays I normally eat with the kids and DH eats later on after the kids have gone to bed- except for Fridays when he is home early so we eat together. Sat's we have dinner at my parents place and Sun we all eat together. TV is turned off at dinner time. ------------- Mum to Ella (5) and Tom (2) |
Posted By: Henna79
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:19pm
| We eat about 5.30 altogether up the table with tv off as it's so much easier. |
Posted By: mrsturtle
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:27pm
| we also eat together but cause hubby works shifts our main meal time varies but we eat all our meals at the table to keep consitant. |
Posted By: MrsEmma
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:32pm
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We eat betwen 5pm - 5.15pm every day at the table with the TV off. We have for a long time with DS and now with DD I either feed her while I'm eating (it's amazing what you learn to multitask when you need to feed) or if she's awake she'll just sit in her bouncer at the table with us while we eat.
We're fortunate that DH is always home by dinner time so we can always eat together. I love having an early dinner, means all dishes and cleanup is done early and when DS goes to bed we can relax and just spend time with DD before she goes to bed. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: EmDee
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:43pm
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We always eat together around the table, usually somewhere between 5.30 - 6pm. The TV is usually on, but we have it on low volume and can't see it from the dining room. ------------- DS 8 DD 6 DS 4 DD 2 |
Posted By: MissAngel
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:59pm
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We dont eat together. My kids eat at 4pm and are in bed and 5pm and 6pm respectivly. Matt and I eat around 7pm together at the table - except right now cuz we're being lazy bums :P ------------- Alex, Thomas and Lily http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 7:41pm
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because I've been on my own the last couple of months I've been feeding DD then putting her to bed before having my own dinner
when Dh comes home however we will be having dinner together when he comes home from work, its easier to cook for all 3 of us At the moment I've been trying to feed DD in front of the TV while I watch Masterchef (yes I'm addicted) it's been a bit of a disaster as she is easily distracted by it. Dinner will be at the table with TV off when Daddy gets home. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 7:47pm
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We eat around 5:30/6pm, I always eat with our daughter at the table, 4 out of 5 days a week DP won't be there (he works evenings) the other people living in the house (MIL/FIL, BIL/SIL) will either join us at the table or sit on couches in the lounge/dining room.
We only have proper cooked meals on weekdays (we all have a day to cook) and on Sat/Sun it is get your own so DD often ends up eating/being fed at 5/5:30 and having an early bedtime. She gets defrosted food I've done as a big cook up during the week :D ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Shelt
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 8:25pm
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There's only me and DD so we eat together at the table. Its usually sometime between 5 - 5.30pm depending on what time we get in the door from work/daycare and how long whatever we are having takes me to prepare. And we I don't switch the TV on before DD goes to bed at night so its off when we eat. DD does take ages and ages and ages to eat her dinner though so sometimes I read a magazine if I am still waiting for her after 20 mins or so. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: julzw
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 9:11pm
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The girls and I eat dinner together at the table around 5:30pm. No TV on. DH eats his dinner when he gets home ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Richie
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 10:34pm
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I would love to eat at the dining table but it would mean having dinner at 5.15-5.30pm (when DD has her dinner) but neither DF nor I feel like eating a meal that early. We've always had dinner between 7-7.30pm. So I give DD her dinner just before DF gets home from work, and then he starts cooking our meal while I get DD ready for bed etc. Then she goes to bed at 7pm and we get our dinner out. I quite like just the two of us eating together. It's really the only 'us' time we get. When DD gets a little older we will make more of an effort to have 'family' meals.
Honestly tho, we tried having dinner at 5.30pm but we'd both be hungry again by 9pm!!! haha -------------  
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Posted By: Whateversville
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 10:43pm
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I live with my parents so we all eat together at around 5.30 at the table. No tv
When I was a kid we ate in the lounge with those trays with the bean bag thing under it to sit on your knees haha |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 12:08pm
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If DP is home in time then we both make tea at 5/5.30 to be ready at 6pm to eat at the table. If he is going to be home a bit later than 5/5.30 then I make it myself and we all eat when he gets home around 6pm at the table!
No tv on here either! Lisa, I have found my body has adjusted! Prior to DP and I getting our own place we lived with family and dinner was always around 7/7.30 and DD wouldn't go to bed until 9pm+! Anyway at first I would be constantly hungry from 7pm onwards but after maybe a week I adjusted! At the ILs they eat at the table but tv on. At my grandparents it was eat where ever lounge, table, couch, bedroom, kitchen... TV was on. My grandma is pretty much disabled so she eats in bed in her room... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: RicKer
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 12:50pm
We eat together around 5pm as that's when DD will eat. Any later and she isn't as keen. Atm since its just DD and i we are eating in the living room but i need to start using the table again 
ETA: Might get back into the habit from tonight. Just frustrating when MIL decides to visit on her way home from work around 5:15. |
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 12:59pm
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We eat at the breakfast bar with no tv. We eat at 5.30pm but depending on traffic and what site DH is working at it will often just be the boys and I eating together during the week, although sometimes DH will arrive home partway through the meal. At the weekends we all eat together.
I enjoy eating early, it means that the boys are in bed and dishes done by about 7.30pm, there is so much more time in the evenings to do things or just blob on the couch ETA: although it does mean that DH and I end up having something else (baking or whatever 'treats' I have) at about 8/8.30pm ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 1:01pm
Same here. We eat together at 5:30 (If DH is late then he reheats later). Oh and no tv. |
Linzy wrote:Posted By: kiwikt
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 1:12pm
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DH and I have been talking about this and it will be interesting to see how things go with a kid and both of us working.
I would like to try for 50% of the time we eat as a family - but I dont get home from work until 5-5.30, so the earliest I could have something ready would be 6pm. DH cant guarantee he could be home by 6 every night if something went wrong at work. Still just a wish list for us at the moment - bubs isn't even here yet! But I do wonder how working mum's manage to get dinner on the table for the entire family early enough during the week. Now that must take some planning ------------- Due 14/10/11 http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: CrazyCass
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 1:16pm
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We've just started eating at the table, TV is still on but its all one room so we can watch what ever is on, or chat. Dinner is usually 6-7pm.
Being at the table is great because we get up, and clean up straight away so we're on the couch relaxing by half 7 at the worst. Rather than dumping our dishes on the floor and having the washing up hanging over us till we can be bothered getting up to do it. Pudding is still in front of the TV, usually round 8-8.30ish (yes DH is a pudding addict we have it most nights!)  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 1:43pm
Same as High9 we got used to eating early & granted we sometimes have something a little bit later about 8.30 ie 5 min mug cake which we share
CrazyCass, we used to do the same, eat on couch & clean up would be delayed or put off. Kiwikt, it is easier cause I don't go out to work, but I think I'd be utilising the crock pot a lot. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com">
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: Delli
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 3:41pm
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We all eat around the table, no tv, around 6ish. Before kids we used to have tea quite late, sometimes not until 9pm!
I think it's important to have dinner (or a set time everyday without distractions or fuss) together as a family. Not as much now as later on when the kids are at school and even more so when they hit their teenage years. But building the habit now can't hurt ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: My3Sons
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 3:44pm
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the majority of the time dinner is at the table with me and the kids, usually around 5. DH isnt home for dinner during the week and we have takeaways (usually fish&chips on the floor ------------- Mum to Mr 10, Mr 6 and Mr 4 
 
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 5:49pm
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Dh isn't home from work before the kids go to bed most nights so the boys eat at the table at 5:30 and then Dh and I eat together later, usually around 7:30-8. We also eat at the table although we eat in front of the tv if theres something we particularly want to watch.
On weekends we often all eat together around 5:30 or if I'm feeling lazy I'll do the boys something simple at 5 then after they go to bed we have something else. When we eat with the kids we always end up eating something else later on as well!! ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 8:17pm
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We both work, but I try to get home by 5.30 each night with the kids. Some nights I even make it home by 5 if I'm super organised!
So everything I cook takes less than 20 mins (incl prep) during the week - we always eat before 6, at the table. TV is sometimes on but we can't see it from where we sit, just hear it. We have 2 nights a week where I don't cook, so it'll be bread rolls (kids have a cooked meal at DC) or leftovers from the freezer. It takes a lot of organisation for us to all sit down at the end of the day - sometimes my kids fall asleep at the table after a long day  Not ideal, but such is life for us at the moment.
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Posted By: crakars
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 10:07pm
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we all eat together at around 6pm - at the table with no tv. it was tricky when DD2 was first born but now it fits in perfectly - she loves sitting at the table and eating food like us -------------  http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: LG
Date Posted: 19 July 2011 at 1:38pm
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DD1 and I eat together at the table with no tv at 5.30pm (im usually feeding DD2 at the same time), DH eats with us when hes home but hes not home before 6.30pm at the moment so gets reheats.
Before we had kids we would have dinner at 7 but like everyone has said it means its all over and cleaned up by 7.30...most of the time -------------  Angel Baby Aug '12, Feb '13 |
Posted By: sem
Date Posted: 20 July 2011 at 3:44pm
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We eat together at the table around 6.30pm. If DH gets stuck in traffic and E gets hungry and grumpy she will eat first and DH and I will eat together when he gets home.
It has never occurred to me to eat with E but then have DH eat by himself. It's the time of day when we catch up and talk. Meal times are something important to us and something we value very much. I can't eat on the couch, way too uncomfortable. ------------- Here we go again, another baby on it's way! 
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Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 20 July 2011 at 7:56pm
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DS and I eat at the breakfast bar and try to have dinner together, depending on what we are having. He eats between 5.30 and 6.00, so if its something easy that works for us, otherwise I will get his dinner and while he is eating I will cook mine. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 20 July 2011 at 11:02pm
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We eat as a family at the dinner table usually at 6pm, sometimes 5.30pm if I can be super organised or if its left overs. We have done this since starting solids.
We do have the TV on as we like to hear the news. ------------- Our Angel July 08  Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived 
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