Like Tanith and others say, eating at the table is a very sad and lonely experience when your other half has passed away. I do use the table when I have visitors but other times I eat in front of the television.
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Anyone else eat their supper on the sofa in front of the TV?
(166 Posts)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?
We usually eat dinner at the table, but I always have breakfast on the sofa with the news on. I just have overnight oats or maybe toast - if I had a full English I would probably eat it at the table. If I am on my own I tend to eat in front of the tv in the evening too. Basically if I am eating with Mr Dog we use the table, but we rarely have breakfast together these days.
I am a very firm believer in doing exactly as I please in my own home, and see ‘standards’ as measures of the way people treat each other, not adherence to rules and routines.
henetha
As I said on this thread a few days ago, for reasons to do with my back, I usually eat meals on a tray while sitting in my comfortable chair with a cushion behind me.
Last night I cooked pasta and runner beans, covered with home made tomato sauce and grated cheese, carried it into the living room and sat down. Guess what?.
There's a nasty stain on the carpet now. I've scrubbed it twice and am waiting for it to dry out...
Good morning Henetha. If your tomato stain is still there you may like to try this tip I learned from the Repair Shop TV programme. Spray the stain with shaving cream. Spread the cream, using a damp cloth. Allow to dry, vacuum. It works for me. I'd tried the usual methods on the arm of my pale coloured sofa and nothing worked. The shaving foam removed the stain completely. 
My grandmother ate all her food on the sofa... stretched out with her feet up so no one else could even if they wanted to.
I always eat lunch at the kitchen table usually with a book propped up & surrounded by my ‘filing system’. Dinner/supper depends on what’s on the TV, what time it is or how cold it is as on cold days I like to sit in front of the log burner. I often wear a jumper with a big collar & find more food lands up in or down the collar than in my mouth, yoghurt and egg being the worst offenders & as mentioned, crumbs have an amazing ability to lodge themselves in the bra. I never imagined that as I aged I would become a messy eater - but it’s true 😳
When friends & family are here, I become civilised & eat at the table with all the appropriate accoutrements!
Yes, every night
...there are so few programmes I find worth watching and those that are tend to be on long after I have swallowed the last baked bean.
I agree with you here. Plus most of them are on commercial channels so are full of time-wasting adverts.
We record anything we might fancy, then we watch it at a time to suit.
As I said on this thread a few days ago, for reasons to do with my back, I usually eat meals on a tray while sitting in my comfortable chair with a cushion behind me.
Last night I cooked pasta and runner beans, covered with home made tomato sauce and grated cheese, carried it into the living room and sat down. Guess what?
.
There's a nasty stain on the carpet now. I've scrubbed it twice and am waiting for it to dry out...
I don't eat any of my meals in front of the television. This is not because I think it is plebby, I think people should be allowed to do as they please in their own homes (within reason) and not be criticised. No, the reason I don't eat in front of the television is that there are so few programmes I find worth watching and those that are tend to be on long after I have swallowed the last baked bean.
*shame not Shane. Flipping phone!!
Witzend
Not only on the sofa last night, but it was a ready meal (a Pad Thai from Waitrose.)
Dh is away for a week with his eldest brother, so I shall shamelessly be eating ready-meal dinners for the duration. On the sofa, as usual. 🙂
Ye Gods, witzend! Have you no Shane. 
Every night
Always eat in front of the tv, it's company now I'm on my own; not on a tray though, but from the largest of a nest of tables.
When the children were growing up we always sat at the dining table in the dining room, no tv, but perhaps the radio playing quietly in the background. DC are now 45 and 41, and still ask to leave the table if they are here for a meal!
Not only on the sofa last night, but it was a ready meal (a Pad Thai from Waitrose.)
Dh is away for a week with his eldest brother, so I shall shamelessly be eating ready-meal dinners for the duration. On the sofa, as usual. 🙂
Now that I’m on my own I do enjoy eating my supper on the settee while watching the tv and why not?
Each evening we eat our Tea with me on the sofa with a tray on my lap and DH in his chair brought up to the tv in front of the fire. I am of an age that we do what we want and enjoy the experience.
As DH watches little telly so I choose something he likes, mostly Michael Palin travelling the world.
When the family stay we all sit at the table.
Me as I'm on my own!
Clearly my husband and me are Mr & Mrs Slob.
I didn’t actually realise there was any other way to eat tea/supper/dinner than on the sofa, tray precariously balanced watching TV!
My husband died when young, our children 5 and 7, i could not sit at the dining table without him so tray on lap , when they were older dining table, when they married back to tray on lap
We ate at the table, a huge 6 seater in the living room with the telly off! But when the children left we drifted into eating off a small table in front of the tv. We only set the table on a Sunday. I remember the girls being appalled that we did this.
When we were both going stir crazy during lockdown we started eating lunch and dinner at the table. I even join him for breakfast. Now, if we’re both in at lunchtime we listen to the radio and finish with a game of backgammon.
We always eat dinner together, at the table listening to “get it on” ( Mondays to Thursdays) and play cribbage. We note down who wins, I’m 3 games up so far this year.
There's so much 'junk' on my table that it's preferable to put my food on a tray and eat it in comfort.
GrannySomerset
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.
yep that is me
Your life u do as u please!
Since I was widowed I have lived on my own. I eat my meals off a tray beside the woodburner so I can watch the news or read my book and sti.lbe warm. If I have family or friends round we would definitely eat at the table. When late DH was alive we always ate at the table as he really disliked eating in front of the TV. When my children were at home we always ate at the table and my son and dil do the same with their toddler.
Of course, we are not savages. We’re a pretty relaxed family bunch here and know our manners especially when friends/guests are here - dining room table! Otherwise, we play it by ear, whatever we feel like.
But when I’m alone I love to take my mug of soup and eat in front of the TV. I have a small plate that I can hold and eat a sandwich from, a pasta salad, hummus and veggies.
How about popcorn? That HAS to be eaten while watching a movie! I bet everyone here does that snacking thing in front of the Telly. Don’t kid me.
Not criticizing those that only eat at the table. That’s an old a Victorian thing to me. Go ahead.
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