We usually try to eat around 6-6.30 but it depends on DH work. DD eats with us before her bed time. I'd love to do it earlier, but DH wouldn't get to see the kids otherwise
at the moment it is rate that we eat with DS - he eats when he gets home from creche at about 5.30 (mon-thu) and dh isnt home til at least .it is too hard to stretch him out as he is starving by then. we do on the odd occastion though.
on fridays we eat together a bit later - as soon as dh is home from work, so around . i have both boys home that day so i give ds1 a little snack a bit later than he would usually have to tide him over and i make sure dinner is ready to go when dh gets home. it's nice tohave it all out of the way when he goes to bed as well!
on weekends we sit down to bfast together - and i am making lovely bfasts on sundays now.
we also go out one or 2 nights so we eat together then for sure. at least 1 of us always eats bfast with DS1.
i would like us to eat at the table more as a family so will be tryong to get this to happen a couple of times a week. i do sit and read to ds1 when he is eating without us, it is a lovely time!
We average 6.30 - 7pm and DD is in bed by 8pm (though I aim for 7.30pm).
That suits us best as DD sleeps around 12 hours so is up at about 7.30am - 8am and I don't want her getting up earlier than that as I'm most definitely not a morning person.
We also like her to eat with us as I think she's a) more likely to eat and b) no cooking separate dinners which I just think is a hassle I don't need and c) she's more likely to try more food types because she sees us eating them and d) it's more fun.
With four kids aged between 1 - 10, (whose bedtimes range from 7.45pm-8.30pm) we eat as a family anywhere between 6pm and 7.30pm.
Having said that, our main priority has always been to make sure our kids aren't in TOO much of a routine with tea, so that they don't become too dependent on it. For example, we know that if we feed them at 6pm (occasionally even earlier) they will eat it no worries. Yet if we're going out for tea with friends, and don't eat until 7.30pm, then they're not going to starve (provided we give them a piece of bread & butter or something at about 6pm). We're firm believers that our kids learn to fit in with OUR lifestyle, not the other way around. And I think we're a happier, more relaxed family for it.
We generally sit down together anywhere from 6-7pm. DD1 goes to bed between 7-8pm depending on what is happening and when dinner is eaten. Some nights if we are doing different things she may eat alone at about 6pm but usually we eat as a family.
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