Is it crazy for a family with two young children to buy a nice dining room table for everyday use?

[Anonymous]

Yes you are nuts, if you’re going to care that it gets beat up. Heck, we’re still using a $75 IKEA table circa 2004 and my kids are 11 and 7. They do pesky things like press really hard with their pencils, color in paper all the way to the edge (oops, forgot to use washable markers), dents everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we did as our kitchen was more galley so took wall half way down between dining room and kitchen. The only table we had/ have is beautiful and used for every day but also looks great when entertaining.

I had a piece of glass made for the top. That table was used for art, legos, puzzles, homework, and everything else. Still looks great and get lots of compliments on it and the room.

Wipe glass, a bit of windex, and it’s perfect. I do use cloth placements for meals and often table cloth as a bit clunky with dishes and such but I did with old table too!

[Anonymous]

This is why all my stuff is hard solid beautiful wood-- but vintage and already "well-loved," with patina and dings. It's not quite what they used to call shabby chic, and not exactly rustic as a PP mentioned-- but it already has wear and tear that adds to its charm. No worries at all.

[Anonymous]

We had a used solid wood dining table for awhile, but it was really hard to clean and all the finish wore off. And yes it had lots of water marks. I can handle dings and scuffs, but this table just looked constantly dirty. It made me depressed every time I saw it.

We ended up buying a relatively cheap glass top table. Yes, it gets dirty fast, but it’s also much easier to clean.

[Anonymous]

Share the set you're thinking of.

[Anonymous]

Only if it’s a distressed finish so the dings don’t show up, or if you are happy to turn a blind eye to everything.

Also, I’ve never gotten a water mark on a table, ever. How are they made? Cold drinks?

[Anonymous]

We got a beautiful Amish-made table set for about that much. It’s sturdy, hard wood, and doesn’t show every nick the way a veneer table would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on you. I’ve had my Ethan Allen wood table since the kids were toddlers. It’s been scratched and dinged and my attitude is so what. The dining room table has been used by the family. If I was worried about it, I could have purchased dining room pads and used a tablecloth which would protect the table.

This. What will your reaction be when there are scratches and marks? Ones you think could have been avoided if the kids would just listen? Be honest and go from there.

I'm the OP. We can live with dings and scratches. Lots of water rings, though, would probably be too much. We are new to the post-Ikea world of solid wood furniture. Should we expect lots of discoloration from water, spilled milk, etc? Or just lots of scratches?

It depends on the finish, but yes, you would need to use tableclothes coasters with certain finishes to avoid rings. If it's got a good poly coating, then you wouldn't. You keep saying "solid wood" but what will matter in terms of looks is the surface on top and the finish.

[Anonymous]

I agree you should buy a pad and or oil tablecloth for the table and keep it covered most times. Uncover on holidays, or when you have special company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on you. I’ve had my Ethan Allen wood table since the kids were toddlers. It’s been scratched and dinged and my attitude is so what. The dining room table has been used by the family. If I was worried about it, I could have purchased dining room pads and used a tablecloth which would protect the table.

This. What will your reaction be when there are scratches and marks? Ones you think could have been avoided if the kids would just listen? Be honest and go from there.

Same. I love our table. I’ve had it for 15 years and don’t mind the scratches and bumps. It’s tells the story of a family that sits down together and does things as a family.

[Anonymous]

Are you going to be upset if you still own this table in 20 years when your kids are grown and out on their own and you look down and see a scratch or a stain from that art project they did years ago? Or will you be happy with the memory of them living in the house?

[Anonymous]

I bought a nice wood table for our kitchen from Ethan Allen and it got scratched by the kids of my friends, not my own kids! I was so annoyed.

[Anonymous]

I would either buy a rustic-ish antique farm table that's already well worn or buy something cheap and easily replaceable. We had gouges in our table from toy bins and Lego, and it made me crazy every time I looked it. My kids are now 13 and 17 and when I recently replaced our dining table, I bought a zinc-topped dining table from RH. It's bullet proof - any marks or scratches are just part of the patina.

[Anonymous]

Moisture is the thing and can be an issue with most any wood table OP. We use our dining room table all the time so I try to just strike a balance between the covered-all-the-time extreme and the used-and-looks-abused extreme. I own tablecloths and a set of table pads for big dinners like holidays or a dinner party (remember those!?) but for everyday the table is not covered up. I keep a stack of cloth placemats handy and easy to pull out for regular meals or to place drinks on. Still looks great and my youngest boy is 7.

[Anonymous]

Buy it! Enjoy it! items are to be used, not saved for only special occasions. Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us.