How much time for family dinner?

[Anonymous]

I think your expectations for the 20 month old are a bit too high.

[Anonymous]

Your husband is wrong and should adjust his expectations AND eating. That’s my advice because the kids are acting appropriately and I have the same experience at my house.

Your husband should have one serving / helping with the kids and everyone at table. Everyone including your husband should expect to be done in 10 to 20 minutes so eat fast. Kids can maybe entertain themselves for 5 minutes tops then dinner is over for everyone and cleanup bedtime prep starts. When kids are asleep husband can have his second or third helpings of food in peace.

And yes it sucks I’m a slower eater too otherwise i choke or get heartburn but I have kids and act like a grownup not a single life childless casual relaxing meal eater.

[Anonymous]

Why do you have the no leaving and coming back thing? If husband wants dinner to last an hour, letting them leave and come back to finish eating would be one way to accomplish that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your husband is wrong and should adjust his expectations AND eating. That’s my advice because the kids are acting appropriately and I have the same experience at my house.

Your husband should have one serving / helping with the kids and everyone at table. Everyone including your husband should expect to be done in 10 to 20 minutes so eat fast. Kids can maybe entertain themselves for 5 minutes tops then dinner is over for everyone and cleanup bedtime prep starts. When kids are asleep husband can have his second or third helpings of food in peace.

And yes it sucks I’m a slower eater too otherwise i choke or get heartburn but I have kids and act like a grownup not a single life childless casual relaxing meal eater.

Agree with this. He can eat more later after kids have home to bed.

[Anonymous]

Immediate PP here. Seems like a lot of evening time with the kids is being wasted in DH's endless dinner.

[Anonymous]

Sounds very stressful

[Anonymous]

I have fast eaters. At the end of the meal, I'll read a few books to get them to linger at the table longer. My youngest won't sit long for books, so I'll throw into the mix song books from Jane Cabrera. So that might be one option.

But mostly, my DH has a cutoff too and sometimes finishes up after the kids go to bed. Sounds like yours needs to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, it sounds like your husband is taking lots of servings of food and taking his sweet time to eat it because he doesn’t want to deal with wrangling hyper kids running around after eating their dinner, cleaning up their toys, and starting their bedtime routine. I would tell him to suck it up, eat his first helping of food within 20 minutes, same rule for the kids, and then split duties were maybe he takes the kids up to get ready for bed while you clear the dishes or vice versa. He can nut up and do what works for the family, if that means going back for another plate of food a half hour later when the kids are in bed that’s what it means.

[Anonymous]

Husband is being ridiculously selfish.

[Anonymous]

Give more ownership over the meal.

Put a small pitcher of water and small cups on the table. This easily buys you another 10 minutes at the table. Even your 20 month old will pour and drink from an open cup, and thoroughly enjoy the process.

Also - tongs. (My kids call these “grabbers”) They can serve themselves small slices of bread or salad throughout the meal.

Have the kids clear their own plates and wipe down the area of the table where they sat. A spray bottle of water and a single paper towel will do the trick. My kids love the spray bottle clean up.