Did you change your dinner time so you can have a family meal after baby?

[NoodleSnack]

Just wondering. Now that he's older and about to start solid soon, I'm thinking we should move our dinner earlier so we can eat together before his bedtime. I seriously never even thought about that before this. I wonder do other people do the same?

 

[Cat lady]

We always used to eat around 6/7, although when I am on lates (7pm finish) its more like 8pm, that wasnt too much of an issue as long as ds had a nap, now he has dropped his naps, we eat much earlier, about 5 so we can all eat together, we have always eaten together. If we leave eating any later, ds is too tired and will play up all through meal time and not eat his food.

When I go back to work next week (Have been on maternity leave), I will prepare food for the kids to eat whilst I am at work and then bedtime tends to be around 7/7.30 and dh and I will eat once the kids are asleep. I will finish work at 7 just twice a week now.
xxx

 

[lilmissdanni]

That would mean us eating at 4:30! Lo's bedtime is 6 so it's impossible. I'm trying to push bedtime back to 7 so then maybe I can eat with him.

 

[tinytabby]

We try and eat dinner together now, at about 6.

On days when I'm working it sometimes doesn't work out and LO has to eat alone.

But at least 4 days a week we eat together.

 

[Larkspur]

Same as Danni, LO has dinner around 4.30-5pm and is in bed by 6.30pm and OH sometimes doesn't finish work till 8.30pm, so no way to make that work.

OH and I usually eat 7.30-8.30pm. I guess we'll try harder to have a family meal when LO is three or four and talking and participating properly, but for the first couple of years I don't mind having separate meals.

 

[Button#]

We all have dinner together at about 6.30. LO eats the same as us and it's easier to cook for all of us in one go.

 

[flamingpanda]

My partner doesn't get in until 6:15, which is just too late for Hadley at the moment. When I return to work it will be even more difficult. So currently I feed her at 5pm. I'm hoping as she gets a bit older we'll be able to work something out. I really wish we could all eat together but at the moment it's just not to be.

Would be interested to hear how others who both work handle this.

 

[Sparrow85]

Impossible for us as well. LO goes to bed between 6-6.30pm and on the days OH is working, he doesn't get in till 7.15pm.

I'm used to having my dinner about 7.30pm now and it wouldn't work if we were to change it. I feed LO is dinner about 5pm. We enjoy our dinner much more also when LO isn't there (as bad as that sounds!)

 

[AngelUK]

My boys eat their dinner at 6:30 and are in bed shortly after 7. OH and I usually eat at around 8 maybe a bit later depending what he is cooking. I have never eaten my dinner at 6:30 since I was a child myself. So no we don't eat as a family as yet. I am planning to eat with them once they are older of course and go to bed a little later.

 

[danijoanne]

Sophia has dinner at 4.30 for 5 and we all eat then. Sometimes its me and her sometimes her dad is there too. I have all my meals with her at the table. Its something we necer did as kids and i really missed it. I think it has helped her with her eating and she eats plenty and anything we eat. X

 

[PG5K]

We try and eat together around the dinner table. Usually we eat between 6-7 though Alice has a pretty late bedtime of around 8-9pm so it works out good. Sometimes she's hungry earlier so I feed her about 5 and then she has finger foods and pudding with us.

 

[korndogger123]

Naomi doesn't go to bed until 8 or 9. So we all have dinner together at 6. Sometimes when I work late, we don't get in until 7 so she will eat and get ready for bed. On those late days I either have dinner with her at 7 or wait for her to go to bed.

Sometimes on late days, we skip solids all together and just to a breast feeding.

 

[Snow Owl]

Want to but impossible. Bath time / bed time routine starts at 6.30 with him being asleep at 7. OH doesn't get home till 6.15.

 

[Mrs_Random]

Don't eat together very often.

My LO eats about 5 but hubby works until 5.30. So we eat lunch together then he eats tea alone.
Me & LO will eat breakfast at the table together too so he gets 2 meals a day with me & his brother has just started weaning too so there will be 3 of us at the table.

On a weekend hubby & I try & eat earlier so he does get the experience & if we go out to eat as a family we go about 5/5.30 so LO can eat with us. He does really well now.

 

[Rachel_C]

OH doesn't often get home early enough during the week to eat with the kids, so they have a 'tea' at 5pm and he has 'dinner' at 7-8-9pm. I will have one or both . If depends on the meal really as I am veggie so I will sometimes have my full evening meal with the kids if OH is having something very meaty (I sometimes buy him ready prepared meat like chicken in a spicy sauce that the kids won't have). If we're all having the same and OH's will be reheated later (e.g. pasta bake), I will have a small portion with the kids and then a bit more later with OH if I'm still hungry. I try to eat something with the kids because I do think it's important to show them you eat it too, as well as the social aspect. At the weekend, we all eat early together.

 

[maidelyn]

I do us all dinner for 6, if hub is late then we start without him as bath/bedtime routine starts at 7