How early is too early for dinner?

I'm after some advice. For the past year or so (at least) we have been sitting down to eat dinner as a family at 5.30. The kids get hungry early, and this actually suits us as DH starts work early and so goes to bed at 8.30. Although 5.30 seems early, I thought it was a good idea because, as I said, the kids get hungry early.

However, even though neither of them are fussy eaters, we're finding dinner time quite painful. DD, in particular, has days when she doesn't eat much at all, even though they are both clammering for food from about 4-4.30 onwards, so I know they're hungry then. Late in the afternoon I only give them little snacks such as grapes or sultanas so they don't ruin their appetite, but this doesn't satisfy them. Then, come dinner time, noone seems overly hungry anymore.

So, what I'm wondering is whether I should just feed them their dinner earlier? DH and I won't eat earlier, but I thought if I give the kids their dinner at, say, 4.30, then we can do baths after that and then at 6ish they can sit back down at the table with us and have some more, or some yoghurt or fruit or something.

Do you think 4.30 is too early for dinner? I'm worried they will get hungry overnight, that's why I would still want them to have something else when we sit down at 6. WDYT?

Nope, I have 2 younger brothers and when they were about 1 and 3 onwards til they were about 5 and 7 (I'm 6/8 years older than my brothers and my sister is 3 years older than me), we used to have tea at 4.30.

It suited us kids.

We do dinner at 5... It works for us. Kids are hungry by then, after dinner we have time for homework, bath then they are in bed by 6:30.

The only time we eat later is when it's just DH and me or we eat out with others because everyone else seems to have dinner around 6:30 so in that case I have to give the kids snacks or they are starving.


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I don't think it's too early. Every family's different. If they eat dinner at 4:30 when they're ravenous, then have the small snack you would have otherwise given them at that time on other days at 6 (does that make sense), they're getting the same food. If they had a yoghurt, or peanut butter or something at 6, something with some protein and low GI, it would take a while to digest anyway.

Do what you need to do for your family!

We have dinner early and then later on they will have a piece of fruit to "top them up" if they so wish. It works for us. :)

I eat dinner anywhere from 4 till 6.. Depends on the weather or if I am just hungry. If we eat as early as 4 we do have a snack later though. 6 is usual a summer time though.

I remember a friend at school who ate dinner at 4. The whole family ate at this time. Their justifications was much like you have said, the kids were hungry then so they ate at that time tonfill them up and then did the whole snack thing later if needed. Needless to say, that was a house I liked going to after school - 2 dinners lol!

Give it a try! What's the worst that can happen? :D

We used to have a 2 stage dinner for dd2, and she was always happier to sit down for seconds when it was our dinner. Alternatively, give them a really solid hot savory snack like soup and toast, a boiled egg - like a small dinner, then you won't mind if they don't eat at dinner time as they will have had something already.

I can't eat when i first come home from work, so we have a late dinner (about 7) - DD has a two stage lunch - one bit before her nap (around 12), one after (she naps around 1230 and eats around 3) - so it works much the same as the two stage dinner MD described. if we try and eat at different times, or miss that broken lunch, it messes with her and she is a nightmare to either get through dinner or get in to bed.

do what works for your family - that's what we do!

we eat at 4:30 with supper before bed :)