Team Just Eat Dinner rather than snack. But I am the cook and I have been known to get dinner on the table by 4:45 because I can and the kids are already sniffing around the kitchen.

If my spouse wanted to eat at 7:30 they could certainly warm up a plate later while they are cleaning

Out of curiosity, who likes to eat at 7:30? Are you snacking? I'm not a snacker and I'm a super early bird so going to bed not much after dinner seems undesirable. What are your schedules like?

All things being equal, I don't think it matters who is cooking. If they are all home and able to cook, then majority rules. If the cook legit can't get to it until 7, that's different.

But if you're all home t 5:30 and then make dinner, six seems fine.

Spouse b is right. Is spouse from Spain or or some other place where they eat real late?

I think the kids' ages matter as well as what time they go to bed and what time they have lunch. I know some kids eat lunch really early at school so I can see why they'd be hungry at 5:30.

I think snacking at 5:30 is silly and I would hate to eat at 7:30/8 personally. I'm a morning person so my day starts earlier and I want lunch by 12, so dinner at 5:30 makes sense to me.

Also, clean up and such from dinner would presumably be easier earlier in the day, but if Spouse A wants to handle that then I guess that's off the table as a counterpoint.

Anonymous wrote:Family is all home by 5:30pm and everyone is hungry enough to eat then. Spouse A says it’s too early to eat, everyone should have a light snack and eat dinner at a normal time. Spouse B says why not eat dinner now and have a light snack later, if at all.

Healthier to eat earlier...

Anonymous wrote:How old are the kids? I hate eating that early, and when DCs were little I'd sometimes feed them early and then DH and I would eat later.

+1 how old are the kids? If young, yes to early dinner. Adults can have a snack so everyone is at the table. And wat again after kid bedtime.

How old are the kids? I hate eating that early, and when DCs were little I'd sometimes feed them early and then DH and I would eat later.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family is all home by 5:30pm and everyone is hungry enough to eat then. Spouse A says it’s too early to eat, everyone should have a light snack and eat dinner at a normal time. Spouse B says why not eat dinner now and have a light snack later, if at all.

How many spouses do you have? Weird.

LOL. They are one of the spouses.

Just eat earlier. Whoever cooks determines what time people eat. The earlier you eat, the earlier you can go to bed, and the earlier you can get up. OTOH, if the cook is tired after work/school/whatever then they could have a break before cooking and you could eat later.

Anonymous wrote:Family is all home by 5:30pm and everyone is hungry enough to eat then. Spouse A says it’s too early to eat, everyone should have a light snack and eat dinner at a normal time. Spouse B says why not eat dinner now and have a light snack later, if at all.

What is "normal time"? We eat around 6. We go to bed around 9 so I do not want to eat very late. I would not want to serve a snack when everyone is hungry at 5:30.

Anonymous wrote:Family is all home by 5:30pm and everyone is hungry enough to eat then. Spouse A says it’s too early to eat, everyone should have a light snack and eat dinner at a normal time. Spouse B says why not eat dinner now and have a light snack later, if at all.

What time do you each prefer dinner?

We’ve preferred a 5:30 dinner, but because work had it about 6 instead. Any later and feels like too late for us. We got to bed early and wake up early too.

5:30 dinner ftw.

We don’t have a set time but usually eat dinner between 5:30-6:00.

Anonymous wrote:Family is all home by 5:30pm and everyone is hungry enough to eat then. Spouse A says it’s too early to eat, everyone should have a light snack and eat dinner at a normal time. Spouse B says why not eat dinner now and have a light snack later, if at all.

How many spouses do you have? Weird.

I want to get dinner on the table and the kitchen cleaned up. Why snack at a meal time?