The Mock Turtle

I love that during lockdown I can have my dinner early around 6. Before lockdown I didn’t even get home before 6:30 so dinner was around 8pm.

Any time between 6.00 and 9.00. We have no routine at all nowadays, and have lapsed into grazing. I quite like that aspect of having no structure to our days, but would trade it in a heartbeat for the ability to socialise.

We’re definitely eating together more. It’s the days I’m out of the house that annoy me though because I often get in and still have to cook for us all while C goes out for a run to unwind.

We don't usually eat with the kids because J is still quite fussy and we also eat a lot of spicy food that I don't want to compromise on! Sometimes we eat together on the weekend if we're having a roast or something.

The kids eat at 5ish and we eat as soon as we can have it ready for after they are in bed - normally around 830.

That’s not on, Pip.

Yes, same PD. W wasn't the most adventurous eater (despite decent efforts on our parts) and we often ate things which wouldve required a very tolerant eater, it's coming together a bit more now though.

We call it breakfast, lunch and tea, unless (in the dim and distant past), we are eating out, and then I would go out for dinner or supper, not tea.

We usually eat between 5.30-6pm, sometimes later at the weekend, and all eat the same meal. I think I started eating early with the kids when they were little because I knew there was no way I was going to cook two meals every night, and I’m hungry by then anyway.

Ella77 wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 9:10 am That’s not on, Pip.

I agree. I totally see his need to get away for a bit as being at work is probably the better deal (at least thinking of my own childcare situation ) but surely he could cook or at least prep food before you get in?

I still sometimes say tea instead of dinner Wendy, much to mr b’s horror. Which always amuses me as he grew up in the most industrial north east town ever and certainly never called it dinner as a child.

We never eat with S in the week, one because she eats about 5 and that too early for me, and two because she still won’t eat Anything mixed together, won’t eat her veg cooked and it’s very hard to cook something for all three of us that isn’t grilled chicken raw carrots, peas and sweet corn.

I usually eat about 8.30-9 once she’s gone to bed. Selfishly I quite like that as it’s “my” time, I can have what I like and eat it in peace.

We tend to eat together on weekends though and try to make a “fun” thing we’ll all eat, like homemade pizza or meatballs etc.

I’d mostly like to not have to cook three different meals every night.

He just doesn’t place the same importance on food as I do. I think if his work situation becomes permanent then we’re going to have to have conversations about it. I do enjoy placing and cooking meals for the most part, and I always used to be home first so it made sense, but if our lifestyle is going to change the division of labour will have to too.

I often prep or semi prep a meal, S comes in from work and I go out running (or to a work appointment) and he gets a garbled 'I've done everything up to step 4 in the recipe...byyyyyeeeee' and he carries on.

It is difficult when things change. Weve had to rehash the division of labour thing again during this, which had been fairly settled to everyone's satisfaction for a good while.

I know what you mean, and I enjoy doing it too. It's a shame when it ends up more of a chore than a pleasure.

One of the nicest things about having to work from home is the opportunity to cook properly. Because there is just me I sometimes struggle to use up everything I make :bloater:

We eat dinner / diner at 8pm. Going against most people on here, I'd book earlier at a restaurant, especially if it's a more rural one as it always seems to take an age and you can start to feel you're outstaying your welcome if you're there too late. And mostly as we eat out so rarely it's a treat and we'd have an aperitif and 3 courses of some kind, whereas at home it's rare there's a real pudding.

Growing up in the West-Mids it was always dinner too, and although we had "dinner ladies" at school, I can't remember anyone actually using anything other than lunch and dinner, although I don't have particularly strong memories either way. We ate about 7pm, always the whole family together, but while we did have various fussy eater issues, my parents generally will eat a fairly standard meat / fish / chicken + two veg type meal, so the only battles were whether we'd eat the veg or not.

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 8:59 am We’re definitely eating together more. It’s the days I’m out of the house that annoy me though because I often get in and still have to cook for us all while C goes out for a run to unwind.

Is C working? On the days I work, P comes home and does everything (cooks dinner, clears up, takes the lead with bedtime) while I either go for a run or a bath. I've told him it's not necessary but he's adamant that I'm doing two jobs while he's doing one. I still plan the meals and make sure we have something simple on those days, but it seems fair to me, tbh.

We eat dinner at home around 7.30pm-8.00pm, and if we are going out we would book a table at 8.45pm as I think it allows for you to turn up early at 8.30pm and your table likely be ready, or be late (9pm) and it’s all good too

We don’t eat with the small ones as they go to bed at 6pm and I just don’t think I’d enjoy my meal as I want to relax. We do kind of eat lunch together but more often than not I’ll get the boys lunch and set them off and then make ours. When they get older I think we would have an evening meal together at weekends but I think we would stick with during the week having separate meals as I just don’t want to eat that early.

I don't have a set time - I just eat when I'm hungry. :animal:

It's dinner here - I do sometimes call it tea but that's kind of on purpose to be slightly childish.

During lockdown, we aim for tea about 5.30/ 6pm and we will eat the same meal (or very similar) around 3 times a week. If we are having a takeaway then it could be any time from 4.30 depending on how busy they are.

We eat dinner at 9, sometimes later if A2 has been difficult going to sleep. We generally don’t eat with the children for dinner - prior to lockdown they’d be exhausted from nursery and we wouldn’t have time to pick them up, cook dinner for four and still get them for bed by 7.30/8, so we got into the habit of eating after they had gone to bed. Now we try to have more meals together, but the dining table is a bit too small for all of us and has been taken over by A’s laptop and computer screen.

My ideal dinner time would be 7.30-8, a lot of the lateness is usually because A2 takes so long to get to sleep and because I do most of the cooking in our household.

Heebie Jeebie wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 9:27 am I know what you mean, and I enjoy doing it too. It's a shame when it ends up more of a chore than a pleasure.

One of the nicest things about having to work from home is the opportunity to cook properly. Because there is just me I sometimes struggle to use up everything I make :bloater:

Can we arrange a food-sharing club? I either end up chucking stuff or don't bother cooking properly because it's just me (and fussy kids who won't eat anything interesting)

Yes just post any leftovers through my letterbox