Reply to How "bad" is our dinner routine- parents eating separate from kids?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Kids are 3 and 5yo. They get home at 4:45/5pm and are already demanding dinner NOW. Dh and I both WFH and wrap up right at 5pm. We have tried just a snack when they get home but they end up asking for more and more and it turns into a meal regardless.

DH and I have always bonded over cooking. For 12 years before having kids, we cooked dinner together every night and talked about our days, ate together, and clean up together. We love really spicy food, trying new foods, elaborate recipes, and lots of different cuisines. That was always our bonding time as a couple. Neither of our kids will eat meat at all and they both prefer random things together on a plate vs a cohesive meal if that makes sense. They eat pretty healthy foods so I haven't made a big fuss over it, but they basically always want some combo of fruit, eggs (boiled, omlette, fried, or scrambled), greek yogurt, beans, chick peas, raw veggies (peppers, carrots, snap peas, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, avocado, or spinach salad- they both refuse any cooked veggies), cottage cheese, nuts, or quinoa.

So we have basically defaulted into the pattern of kids getting home, giving them their preferred foods (which all take like 30 secs to throw on a plate) for their dinner and they eat while we sit with them. Then we play or go to the park, do baths, family story time, and bed time at 7:30pm.

Then after they go to bed, DH and I cook our dinner together and sit down and eat together every night.

I sometimes feel guilty that I spent ~1 minute getting my kids' dinner together and then DH and I put a lot of time and effort into our own dinner. I'm also wondering if it matters that we don't eat with the kids even though we do sit with them and talk while they eat? Both my mom and MIL HATE that we do this and think it's really weird and unconventional. The big plus though is that our marriage has always been really strong and I do attribute a lot of that to having that dedicated hour and a half every evening where we cook, eat, and chit chat. I look forward to it every single day.

Would love some opinions. Should we switch it up? Does it matter that my kids aren't eating cohesive meals at this age? Does it matter that we aren't actually eating as a family?[/quote]

You should feel guilty.  Evidently, both you and your husband only consider yourselves family and your children are like pets that you feed with the dog and cat!  Children learn table manners, assuming, of course,  that you and your husband actually have good table manners, by the way their parents chew with their mouths closed, know how to use fork, knife. and spoon to eat their food.  It's mean and selfish and you are depriving your children of important family time.[/quote]

I mean this kindly...you need to chill out.[/quote]

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