How do people get dinner on the table by 6:00?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feed your kids leftovers from the night before at 4pm right after school. Schoolkids are cranky after school but don’t eat a large amount. Then a banana or yogurt right before bed. Bath is 6:30 here bedtime is 7:30.

So you skip dinner with your kids? To me that is a non-negotiable, an integral part of parenting. Totally unnecessary sacrifice.

+a million. I grew up having family dinner every night at 6pm. I have no special memories from this, but a million other special childhood memories. My family now is very close but for a variety of reasons we don’t have a sit down family dinner together every night. It’s not a big deal at all.

DP, and for us, sleep was the nonnegotiable. We had family dinner because it was a nice way for us to catch up with each other, but there are other ways to catch up with each other -- family breakfast, family walk, family game night -- and families need to find the ones that work best for them and let go of the notion that there's One Best Way for every family to connect.

Giving up the things that don't work isn't a sacrifice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well I don't cook meals that require me to be in the kitchen for 2.5 hrs. At least not during the week. Most weekday meals have a 45 min cook time, tops. DH works from home and consistently gets done at 515. I get home at 4ish. We eat around 630-700 depending on if DS has an activity. We are asleep around 10. I get up at 530 for work and DH gets up at 6 to work out.

My best friend grew up with a similar schedule as you. They've compromised on a 730-8 dinnertime

If you would have to start a 6 pm dinner at 3:30– you are doing too much for weeknights.
I work and cook from scratch , but can throw a healthy meal together in an hour or less.

Learn hacks. Find quicker recipes (such as turkey burgers that contain chopped spinach). You can broil salmon in 15 minutes. Don’t make 3 separate courses. You can make pasta that includes the protein, and veggies. Food prep on weekends. Cook a meal that feeds everyone for two nights.

I think kids should eat by 7, preferable earlier. Some schools feed them lunch at like 11:30 in the morning . Plus, you want them to get in a routine: homework, bath , reading before bed.

This is not some European soirée. I think you should start a new thread asking for quick weeknight dinner recipes. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I stop working at 530 (wfh) and start cooking then. I prep lunches for the next day and dinner until 630 when we eat.
I really like the rukmini iyer roasting pan series of cookbooks and the pinch of nom series too for quick, healthy family dinners. They’re all easily doubled for the freezer too.

[Anonymous]

OP, we always ate at 7 PM growing up. Dad got off work at 6, home by 6:30, dinner at 7. I remember my mom saying she'd wait till Dad called her to say he was leaving the office, then she'd start dinner cooking.

IMO the thing that takes the longest time in a typical US/American dinner is the starch. Our typical meals would be a starch, a veg, and a chop or burger or pice of fish or something. The starch would be noodles, rice or potatoes. Cooking that would take the longest amount of time. If you pre cooked the starch and ket it in the freezer, you could have dinner on the table in 15 min.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the great ideas! I really like the cook/eat then prep for next night idea as well as eating after the kids go to bed and making extra for their earlier meal the night before. When the baby is older I'm guessing I'll make some very simple dinners like scrambled eggs on some nights. I have to say I'm impressed that people are getting home and immediately starting to cook! I couldn't do that. But I guess it gives you more time to relax after dinner instead of before.

Don’t plan to eat dinner separately from your kid(s) every night! All of my friends who do this have kids who are picky eaters because they are used to eating scrambled eggs or nuggets every night. We feed our kids the same adult meal we eat and they are great eaters. Some of it is luck, but a lot of it is just starting out the way we want to continue. We all attempt to eat together and eat the same thing. I have read lots of places about the importance of family meals, so we try to do that. I grew up eating separately from my parents and I hated it. We were apart all day and then they didn’t even want to sit with us to eat and chat!?

Of course it’s not always possible to eat together. Someone has to work late, kids have various practices at different times. We have elementary and middle school age kids now and only eat together maybe 4 days a week, but it is always the goal. And we all eat the same thing but sometimes staggered.

As for timing, the kids are usually starving when they get home from school at 3. They are up at 6:30 and have lunch at school at 11ish. So they usually have a big snack after school. Ideal dinner time would be 5:30 or 6. We get it on the table by making really simple meals, more pre-packaged than I would like but at this point in our lives, it’s more important to eat together than have gourmet meals. I use the crock pot a fair amount, so I can set it up in the AM and then the food is warm for whenever we are able to eat. Pre-chopped veggies help, or I’ll chop them on the weekend. I buy shredded cheese instead of shredding it myself, that sort of thing. Breakfast for dinner, frozen meatballs with jarred sauce. We like some of the Kevin’s prepared meats that we just microwave, I keep a couple of those in the fridge for days when things are out of control and I just have no time. Takeout once or twice a week, and usually things I can’t make well myself, like Ethiopian or curry. We can cook elaborate meals on the weekends and will have plenty of time in retirement to eat dinner at 9pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the great ideas! I really like the cook/eat then prep for next night idea as well as eating after the kids go to bed and making extra for their earlier meal the night before. When the baby is older I'm guessing I'll make some very simple dinners like scrambled eggs on some nights. I have to say I'm impressed that people are getting home and immediately starting to cook! I couldn't do that. But I guess it gives you more time to relax after dinner instead of before.

Don’t plan to eat dinner separately from your kid(s) every night! All of my friends who do this have kids who are picky eaters because they are used to eating scrambled eggs or nuggets every night. We feed our kids the same adult meal we eat and they are great eaters. Some of it is luck, but a lot of it is just starting out the way we want to continue. We all attempt to eat together and eat the same thing. I have read lots of places about the importance of family meals, so we try to do that. I grew up eating separately from my parents and I hated it. We were apart all day and then they didn’t even want to sit with us to eat and chat!?

Of course it’s not always possible to eat together. Someone has to work late, kids have various practices at different times. We have elementary and middle school age kids now and only eat together maybe 4 days a week, but it is always the goal. And we all eat the same thing but sometimes staggered.

As for timing, the kids are usually starving when they get home from school at 3. They are up at 6:30 and have lunch at school at 11ish. So they usually have a big snack after school. Ideal dinner time would be 5:30 or 6. We get it on the table by making really simple meals, more pre-packaged than I would like but at this point in our lives, it’s more important to eat together than have gourmet meals. I use the crock pot a fair amount, so I can set it up in the AM and then the food is warm for whenever we are able to eat. Pre-chopped veggies help, or I’ll chop them on the weekend. I buy shredded cheese instead of shredding it myself, that sort of thing. Breakfast for dinner, frozen meatballs with jarred sauce. We like some of the Kevin’s prepared meats that we just microwave, I keep a couple of those in the fridge for days when things are out of control and I just have no time. Takeout once or twice a week, and usually things I can’t make well myself, like Ethiopian or curry. We can cook elaborate meals on the weekends and will have plenty of time in retirement to eat dinner at 9pm.

If you feed your kids leftovers, you can stagger meal times and ensure they get access to the same type of food that the adults are eating.

[Anonymous]

We eat dinner at 5:30/6 pm. I cook twice a week and we eat the same meal twice in a row. I do my grocery shopping Saturday. Prep as much as I can Sunday morning. I telework and start cooking at 8:30/9 am after school drop off and eating breakfast. Takes me around half an hour to get everything ready especially having prepped before on Sunday. We eat the same dinner Monday and Tuesday. I prep food for Wednesday on Tuesday since I work from the office Wednesday. If for some reason I don’t have time, Wednesday is a chick filet day. Thursday we have dinner at my mother in laws and Friday I either cook or we eat Wednesdays leftovers. Whatever I make on Wednesday and/or Friday is usually quite quick and simple. Monday/Tuesdays meal is some type of middle eastern stew which is more elaborate and hence the Sunday prep. I also prepare a side salad every day and I tend to start prepping the salad half an hour before we eat. We usually make something quick on Saturday or Sunday for lunch and dinner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the great ideas! I really like the cook/eat then prep for next night idea as well as eating after the kids go to bed and making extra for their earlier meal the night before. When the baby is older I'm guessing I'll make some very simple dinners like scrambled eggs on some nights. I have to say I'm impressed that people are getting home and immediately starting to cook! I couldn't do that. But I guess it gives you more time to relax after dinner instead of before.

Don’t plan to eat dinner separately from your kid(s) every night! All of my friends who do this have kids who are picky eaters because they are used to eating scrambled eggs or nuggets every night. We feed our kids the same adult meal we eat and they are great eaters. Some of it is luck, but a lot of it is just starting out the way we want to continue. We all attempt to eat together and eat the same thing. I have read lots of places about the importance of family meals, so we try to do that. I grew up eating separately from my parents and I hated it. We were apart all day and then they didn’t even want to sit with us to eat and chat!?

Of course it’s not always possible to eat together. Someone has to work late, kids have various practices at different times. We have elementary and middle school age kids now and only eat together maybe 4 days a week, but it is always the goal. And we all eat the same thing but sometimes staggered.

As for timing, the kids are usually starving when they get home from school at 3. They are up at 6:30 and have lunch at school at 11ish. So they usually have a big snack after school. Ideal dinner time would be 5:30 or 6. We get it on the table by making really simple meals, more pre-packaged than I would like but at this point in our lives, it’s more important to eat together than have gourmet meals. I use the crock pot a fair amount, so I can set it up in the AM and then the food is warm for whenever we are able to eat. Pre-chopped veggies help, or I’ll chop them on the weekend. I buy shredded cheese instead of shredding it myself, that sort of thing. Breakfast for dinner, frozen meatballs with jarred sauce. We like some of the Kevin’s prepared meats that we just microwave, I keep a couple of those in the fridge for days when things are out of control and I just have no time. Takeout once or twice a week, and usually things I can’t make well myself, like Ethiopian or curry. We can cook elaborate meals on the weekends and will have plenty of time in retirement to eat dinner at 9pm.

If you feed your kids leftovers, you can stagger meal times and ensure they get access to the same type of food that the adults are eating.

It isn’t just access. It is community.

[Anonymous]

Most people give their kids crappy food so it’s quick. Cooking healthy food from scratch takes a lot longer which is another reason most people don’t do it.

[Anonymous]

I work from home until 5pm and I have dinner on the table between 5:30-6pm, unless my kids have sports.

You make things in the instant pot, crock pot, or pre-assemble casseroles. You make homemade salad dressing, sauces and marinades on the weekend, the night before, or in the morning. You simplify your recipes.
I pre-heat the oven before I leave to pick up my kids so it’s ready when I get home 15 min later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work from home until 5pm and I have dinner on the table between 5:30-6pm, unless my kids have sports.

You make things in the instant pot, crock pot, or pre-assemble casseroles. You make homemade salad dressing, sauces and marinades on the weekend, the night before, or in the morning. You simplify your recipes.
I pre-heat the oven before I leave to pick up my kids so it’s ready when I get home 15 min later.

Also an air fryer is a game changer for veggies. I hate frozen, canned or leftover cooked veggies and the air fryer makes great Brussels sprouts, asparag, and broccoli.

[Anonymous]

Crock pot meals or air fryer meals!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the great ideas! I really like the cook/eat then prep for next night idea as well as eating after the kids go to bed and making extra for their earlier meal the night before. When the baby is older I'm guessing I'll make some very simple dinners like scrambled eggs on some nights. I have to say I'm impressed that people are getting home and immediately starting to cook! I couldn't do that. But I guess it gives you more time to relax after dinner instead of before.

Don’t plan to eat dinner separately from your kid(s) every night! All of my friends who do this have kids who are picky eaters because they are used to eating scrambled eggs or nuggets every night. We feed our kids the same adult meal we eat and they are great eaters. Some of it is luck, but a lot of it is just starting out the way we want to continue. We all attempt to eat together and eat the same thing. I have read lots of places about the importance of family meals, so we try to do that. I grew up eating separately from my parents and I hated it. We were apart all day and then they didn’t even want to sit with us to eat and chat!?

Of course it’s not always possible to eat together. Someone has to work late, kids have various practices at different times. We have elementary and middle school age kids now and only eat together maybe 4 days a week, but it is always the goal. And we all eat the same thing but sometimes staggered.

As for timing, the kids are usually starving when they get home from school at 3. They are up at 6:30 and have lunch at school at 11ish. So they usually have a big snack after school. Ideal dinner time would be 5:30 or 6. We get it on the table by making really simple meals, more pre-packaged than I would like but at this point in our lives, it’s more important to eat together than have gourmet meals. I use the crock pot a fair amount, so I can set it up in the AM and then the food is warm for whenever we are able to eat. Pre-chopped veggies help, or I’ll chop them on the weekend. I buy shredded cheese instead of shredding it myself, that sort of thing. Breakfast for dinner, frozen meatballs with jarred sauce. We like some of the Kevin’s prepared meats that we just microwave, I keep a couple of those in the fridge for days when things are out of control and I just have no time. Takeout once or twice a week, and usually things I can’t make well myself, like Ethiopian or curry. We can cook elaborate meals on the weekends and will have plenty of time in retirement to eat dinner at 9pm.

If you feed your kids leftovers, you can stagger meal times and ensure they get access to the same type of food that the adults are eating.

It isn’t just access. It is community.

my kids are great eaters and we did not eat as a family for a long time.

[Anonymous]

I just spent a few hours batch cooking. I made large batches of tikka masala and pasta sauce (with ground beef and lots of blended/hidden veggies). Later I will cook some pasta and some rice, so that will be 3-4 meals, plus there is plenty of each for me to freeze and get many more meals out of.

So, usually I cook one thing on Sundays that will give us a couple of meals through the week, plus pull 1-2 things from the freezer that I premade/froze. We supplement with easy meals like chicken nuggets/roasted broccoli/yogurt, or fish w/ leftover rice, etc.

[Anonymous]

I dont know anyone who does this.