Do you eat with the kids? or with DH?

DH isn't home until around 7pm most nights. And 7.30 is becoming DS's bedtime. So he's home in time for a quick play with the kids and then putting DS to bed. He then reheats his dinner and eats.

I feed the kids, or Tallon anyway hehe, around 5.30/6.00, and I tend to eat with him because this helps him to eat better, if he's eating his dinner at the bench and I'm doing other things, he can get distracted and play with his food more.

But I miss having dinner with DH too. So, those of you with DH's that come home after the kids dinner time, who do you eat with?

I'm thinking maybe I should keep eating with the kids, but then making sure I sit down with DH while he eats.. maybe have my cuppa then or something.

Any suggestions? What do you do?

We usually all eat together, but it's a bit different as I am working also so we usually both get home at around the same time. Sometimes I will eat first with the boys, if DH is going to be home later. I think it's important for kids to have the concept of eating as a family, and also to learn from watching adults eat etc. So I think you are doing the right thing to eat with them. At some stage your DS might start going to bed later, so you could all eat together then. In the meantime I think it's a great idea for you to have a cuppa or a bit of supper or something and sit with your DH while he eats.

Liz - is there any way you can make yourself two smaller servings and eat with both Tallon and DH? when my bro's kids stay over, we feed them earlier as they have to go to bed early - but DH can't eat early - it just doesn't work for him! i feel crud if i eat a proper meal late with DH - so i compromise and eat with both - the heavier part of dinner with kidlets, vegies with DH a bit later (or whatever it happens to be). it's actually better for your body and metabolism to have smaller meals like that...

at the moment, if we're kidlet free, i still eat earlier than DH, then just have something small with him just so that we're eating together... it's taking a LOT to explain to DH that heavy meal before bed makes me feel cruddy - and is very bad for both of us! he's just so used to it cos he eats at work, then climbs into sleeper cab for a snooze before he goes working again couple of hours later...

No matter what time DH used to get home, id always eat with him. Now we all eat at around 7pm together (plus kids).

BG - I dunno if that would work for me. I think once I've eaten I won't feel like eating again. Even if it didn't really fill me up.

Trouble is I tend to make the most of the time when DS goes to bed and try to get stuff done. So DH usually grabs his dinner and goes and sits in front of the computer and gets on with his stuff. Our 'us' time has kinda disappeared :(

Think I will try and make sure we sit down together while he eats, and I agree MR, it's important for the kids to have me sit and eat a family meal with them. it's a shame DH doesn't get home earlier so we can all eat together all the time :(

kimbaz - yeah, we used to wait for DH to come home and eat together, but DS has slowly changed to needing to go to bed around then. It's hard on DH too coz he doesn't get much time with him, but it's just the way things are atm. Plus DS starts asking for food around 5pm, and I'd rather have dinner on then than feed him snacks to keep him going until 7. hehe.

i guess the big thing then is to make sure weekend dinners are important family events. you may find DH doesn't want to eat early in the evening, but it's important for all of you to have that time together as a family. if he struggles with eating that early (like my DH does), maybe he can have a snack sized "meal" with tallon, and eat another small meal later

it really IS something you get used to! sometimes i might just have a slice of cheesy garlic bread with DH but i always sit with him and spend time with him no matter what

i put our son to bed at 7 then i eat with DH when he get shome about 8.

this worked really well for us as we really enjoy ur dinner together. obcvusly this will change onc ethe kids are able to eat unassisted at the table

Liz can you just sit down and have a snack with Tallon? Like some fruit or something just so that you are at the table with him and then you can have a propper meal with DH?

We have it lucky atm because DH gets home at 5pm so we eat around then. We are slowly moving the girls dinner back to hopefully be around 6pm when he will get home when we live in Sydney. We all sit down together. If the girls sit down differently to us (like if we are going out or want to eat something they wouldn't) we still sit down with them and have a drink of water or tea or something to sit and "do" dinner socially with them. They eat better when we are with them & we always chat about our day & what is happening the next day.

We all eat together unless DH has to go out. I usually have tea with the girls then and nibble with DH.