Do you make your kids eat at the table?

[Nosy]

Sometimes I feel like we are the strictest parents around. We only eat at the table, not wandering around the house munching. Sometimes we might have a picnic on the floor or a snack while watching a movie but this is the exception rather than the rule. Just wondering if we are the only ones.

[mags]

Yes, we do. Of course, when we do movie night, we let the kids have popcorn and snacks in the family room. However, the kids are req'd to eat at the table. They are VERY messy eaters, and it will be a long time before I let them eat on the sofa.

[bandgeek]

We live in a tiny apartment and don't even have a kitchen table, so no. I'd LIKE a table, but even when we get one, I doubt I'll make him sit there for every meal and snack.

[Kuba'sMama]

yea, us too (mostly).
We all eat our meals at the table. Handheld, non-messy snacks are allowed to be eaten while wandering around or playing (apples, bananas, etc).

[taramoon13]

when it's an "official" mealtime ds has to sit up at the table, but for snacks no. i end up using the dustbuster a lot.

[lonegirl]

If hubby and I are sitting at the table...then yeah. We don't always eat at the table though....and more often he is the one who asks us to eat at it

[Ornery]

The little kids always eat at a table. We have the dining room table (that is kind of in the kitchen/family room) and a small kids' table with chairs in a corner of the living room. Dinner time is almost always at the dining room table as is breakfast. Lunch is sometimes at the dining room table, sometimes at the small kids' table. They have to eat at a table because we have a large (and I mean LARGE) golden retriever who likes to eat. He doesn't ever bother them or their food at the tables but if they wander about, he will eat their food. I'm not sure I would be so strict about it if it wasn't for him. I think I would because I would rather have the mess contained to a small area that they can clean up themselves.

[octobermom]

As a whole yes. We eat meals at the table we do sometimes watch TV and eat at the same time but it can be viewed from the table anyways. I will sometiems allow certain snacks on the floor of the living room like I might make popcorn and allow a bowl in the living room but no food in bedrooms I no drinks except water anywhere but the table.

Deanna

[newbymom05]

Meals at the table, snacks like popcorn for movies on the couch. And they make the biggest mess!!! I feel family mealtimes are important and every meal we eat at home we eat together at the table. My kids are young, though, 5 and 2. I'm sure it will get more difficult as they get older and involved in more activities.

[Meli65]

For the most part -- kids are 4 and 8. Once in a while for a treat they can have a "picnic" in the living room in front of the TV ... but it is definitely a treat. They also eat snacks at the table; dh and I should, too. Not only is it neater, but I think it aids in mindfulness around eating.

[zuleicamoon]

Our kids eat at the table or, if it's movie night, on the "eating blanket" in the living room. We were having issues with snacks being set down and then forgotten so I'm pretty consistent with having them eat at the table now. It's just one less thing to have to "discover" when I'm helping them pick up the play room.

[emaye_to_2]

We eat all meals at the table. Our house is tiny with TV room attached to kitchen dining area so they snack in both areas and rarely snack in their bedrooms.

[carmel23]

yes, we eat at the table or outside. I don't want to have crumbs all over the house... yuck! So we eat at the table, with the rare movie snack on a sheet on the floor. I am by no means a neatfreak, I just don't like food all over the house, you know?

[lovbeingamommy]

No, ds, and really dh and I too, eat wherever it's comfortable to. Mostly it's at the table or perhaps in the living room. Ds is an only child right now, so this is part of the reasoning for it.

[LynnS6]

For meals, it's at the table.

For snacks, I'm more lax.

[philomom]

Meals are always at the table.


Dry snacks okay on the sofa. Drippy snacks need to stay in kitchen or on the deck.

[PatchChild]

Meals and snacks are eaten where they are served. No wandering. Most of the time this means at the table. Very, very sometimes we will have a picnic or a treat to eat somewhere else in the house, but it is rare. Even then, the food stays where it is served, no wandering.

[ollyoxenfree]

Meals are usually at the dining room table. There may be exceptions though. Due to lots of activities yesterday, we had a late take-out dinner last night, and we ate it in the family room watching the Olympics on television. That was the first time I can recall not eating at the table in months.

We all eat snacks elsewhere. I just insist that dirty dishes MUST be brought back to the kitchen and crumbs cleaned up immediately. They are good about following that rule.

[SoulCakes]

We eat every meal at the table. Occasionally we'll snack in the living room, but it's generally discouraged. Besides, the family meal time is nice.

[staceychev]

We eat 99.5% of meals at the table or at the counter in the kitchen (we've got a dining room that gets used every day and a kitchen counter with bar-height stools). DD is allowed to eat non-messy snacks at the coffee table in the family room, but absolutely no walking around eating! Very occasionally, we'll have dinner while watching a show on TV, but this doesn't even happen once a month.