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.

 

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.

 

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).

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

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.

 

For meals, it's at the table.

For snacks, I'm more lax.

 

Meals are always at the table.

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Yes, 90% of the time we, or at least the kids, are sitting at the kitchen table.

On occasion we spread out some towels or a blanket and have a "picnic" while we watch something special together at dinner. And on kids birthdays they're allowed to have whatever they want for dinner, and as my oldest has figured out that means ANYTHING, and if he's careful with his selection he can usually get us to agree to a picnic.

Anyway, I do it because there are too many crumbs as it is, and we all know crumbs get tracked. I can't have that happening all over all the time. And spills happen...no matter where they're sitting. And a few years ago, when we stopped using an exterminator monthly we had a small roach issue. Small, because we were able to stop it quickly, but big ick factor for me, and I had a hard time sleeping. I washed everything before I put food anywhere near it etc. I'd really rather not repeat that, and keeping the food to one area is helpful.

They do call us out a lot on eating in the living room, because we do it a lot more than we should.

 

DH has taken over our dining table as his desk (happens in EVERY apartment we have been in and hoping angainst hope it will change when we buy a house with space for a real office)...so we pretty much eat wherever, mostly in the family room as we don't have a kitchen table. Some of our stuff is in storage but I used to make DD sit at her small table to eat, which worked well, and I usually ended up eating there too. DH does eat at the "dining" table a lot since he is usually eating and working at the same time...

I do hold out the hope that one of these days we will start having real "family meals", but we are usually hungry at different times...

 

For meals and most snack, yes. However, we do picnics in the family room, snacks on the sofa with a book, etc. But for the most part food is at the table, but since our table is in the middle of our kitchen/family room (open floor plan) it's not like an isolated area.

 

We are getting there. All meals are at the table, and if they get up their meal is over. Most snacks are at the table or outside, except for special, announced exceptions (movie popcorn, playgroup snacks, Saturday morning cartoon cereal

).

You aren't the strictest mom. Promise.

 

meals are eaten at the table. We are pretty strict about table manners too. No elbows on the table, no leaning back on 2 legs. No cartons on the table, etc.

Snacks can be eaten anywhere but the rule is you have to clean up after yourself or you lose the privilege. Pet peeve is dirty dishes next to the couch, 1/2 eaten food on the coffee table or on the playroom floor.

 

oops double post!