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Anyone else eat their supper on the sofa in front of the TV?

(165 Posts)
vegansrock Wed 10-Apr-24 08:20:05

My DD was horrified when she discovered us eating our evening meal on the sofa whilst watching telly. “You always insisted we eat at the table! “ she said. Well we eat our breakfast and lunch at the table, but in the evening after a a day of childcare , gardening or general being out and about we just want to relax in front of the telly for a couple of hours. If we had company of course we wouldn’t do it, but we enjoy our relaxing evening - anyone else or are we just becoming slobs as we age?

GrannyGravy13 Wed 10-Apr-24 08:31:55

No I do not like eating on my lap/tray. I just about manage tea/coffee/drinks on the sofa 🤣

We either eat at the dining room table or in the kitchen at the island. Always with placemats, napkins etc.

Freya5 Wed 10-Apr-24 08:33:33

No , tried it once, uncomfortable, and indigestion making. My kitchen makes it easy to watch TV if wanted. But usually listen to music whilst eating.

Visgir1 Wed 10-Apr-24 08:37:43

Just once a week on our Curry take out night.

Sago Wed 10-Apr-24 08:40:52

NO!
We had a rule when the children were at home no food to be eaten in bedrooms, no television to be on whilst eating and meals at a dining table.
Occasionally we would have a film night, we would all get bathed and put our PJ’s on, I would make a picnic tea put it all on the coffee table, we would eat and watch the film ( hired from blockbusters ).
I wouldn’t enjoy food on a tray on my knee.

Cossy Wed 10-Apr-24 08:47:46

We have a two person fold up table in our living room and yes we eat our evening meals often “slobbing” (as my mother would have put it) in front of the TV!

It’s our home, our retirement and frankly we do what we like!! Would never dream of doing this though with guests or family roast.

nanna8 Wed 10-Apr-24 08:50:05

Hell,no. I used to tell the children off for that. We do have a late night snack in front of the tv sometimes, however. Must admit we usually eat during newstime so we can hear it in the background.

Joseann Wed 10-Apr-24 08:51:44

No, too much dog interference.

sodapop Wed 10-Apr-24 08:52:24

Exactly the same for us Cossy we can do as we like now after years of work and child rearing.

keepingquiet Wed 10-Apr-24 08:58:37

I did until my son came back to live with me and now we sit and share our evening meal together and discuss our day. We don't call it supper though, I'm from the north and supper is a snack you have before bed.
We call it tea.

Redhead56 Wed 10-Apr-24 09:03:18

When my DS and DD were young we ate at the table then they did their homework etc. Since they left home our habits have changed we don’t always eat at the same time. We often do eat at the dining table but sometimes we eat a snack with a tray it depends.

We have been having our house renovated our DD came for dinner and I told her she was eating off a tray. The house was in chaos but she wasn’t happy at the thought of not eating at the table. She kept saying I had drummed it into them as children to eat properly as a family at the table!

tanith Wed 10-Apr-24 09:04:58

Yes I usually have it on my lap while watching House of Games. OH and I always sat at the table to eat but since I’ve been on my own for 5yrs I just find it sad to sit there with ‘his’ empty chair opposite me. If I’ve got company I’m happy to sit at the table.

Redhead56 Wed 10-Apr-24 09:05:31

We call it tea too and supper for us is a piece of toast and cup of tea.

Witzend Wed 10-Apr-24 09:06:44

We do, the evening meal, when it’s just us. We don’t have a kitchen table as such, though there’s space for one to eat - and the dining table is very often my ‘office’ or craft space. So it’s very often trays, and it suits us just fine. The TV won’t often have been on until we sit down to eat, though.

Any guests, of course, and it’s a different matter - I will even get the white linen napkins out. Though if it’s just family with Gdcs, it’ll be paper ones or kitchen roll.

aggie Wed 10-Apr-24 09:09:16

My table is usually covered in craft stuff or seedling being in transit from the window sill to the greenhouse , I do clear it when there are visitors , I eat at the coffee table on a tray which sits on a lap tray to bring it up to a better height
I couldn’t eat at the table on my own

Katie59 Wed 10-Apr-24 09:12:35

Yes we eat our meals from a laptray from our lounge chairs in front of the TV. I admit it I’m casual these days, we’re not trying to set an example to anyone.

Why not?.

Bellasnana Wed 10-Apr-24 09:16:06

Guilty as charged! I’m on my own so sitting at the table alone is a bit sad.

I never allowed my children to eat on their laps though, all meals were a social event sitting at the table.

karmalady Wed 10-Apr-24 09:18:59

when there were two of us, no never, not for any meal. Always a properly laid table, which encourages chat. Now widowed I have two choices, either stare out of a window if I sit at the table, or I take food into my living room. It is always the second one now and very different to eating with company

DanniRae Wed 10-Apr-24 09:26:45

We are from the south and call it dinner smile
And "YES" we eat our dinner in front of the tv - usually Richard's House of Games - using a lap tray smilesmile

eddiecat78 Wed 10-Apr-24 09:31:18

Lunch whilst watching Bargain Hunt; dinner whilst watching The Chase. I do sit at the dining table for breakfast but OH has his watching the news.
Incidentally we only have a TV in the sitting room - not like others who seem to have them in every room of the house!

Greyduster Wed 10-Apr-24 09:33:11

Exactly what Tanith said. I’m still at the stage where if I sit alone at the table I often cant put a forkful of food in my mouth. My table is for company these days.

eddiecat78 Wed 10-Apr-24 09:48:45

Grey duster I was very interested to read your post. My late father became very anxious eating at lunchtime and I'm ashamed to say it hadn't occurred to me that was the reason why. He was a creature of habit and carried on having his meals at the table but perhaps I should have encouraged him to try eating elsewhere

eddiecat78 Wed 10-Apr-24 09:49:21

I should have added that this was after my mother died

Grannynannywanny Wed 10-Apr-24 09:56:10

I live alone. I have regular visits from my AC and 4 grandchildren and I enjoy cooking for them. We always eat and chat at the table.

However, here is my full and frank confession 😀 I never sit alone at the table. I have every meal on my lap in my comfy chair with radio or tv on.

GrannySomerset Wed 10-Apr-24 09:57:05

Greyduster puts it exactly - the empty chair syndrome is hard to ignore. Probably more important than where I eat is what I am eating, since I find bothering to cook almost beyond me and have a most unsuitable diet now there is no one to cook for.