Do you eat dinner in front of the TV?

[Lathum]

poll to come

[Groundhog]

Don't have any other place to eat - only table I've got is a coffee table in front of the TV. :D

[Lathum]

Don't have any other place to eat - only table I've got is a coffee table in front of the TV. :D

we are pretty much the same.

We hae a dinning room table that was my wifes great grandmothers but we have no chairs for it

[korme]

Yes, because that's where my coffee table is, the only option.

[TCY Junkie]

Only if I'm feeling fruity.

[johnnyshaka]

Our kitchen, dining room, and family room is one big room...so, yes.

[Karlifornia]

I eat dinner from behind the TV. I find that I have more of an appetite if I can see entertained faces.

[JeeberD]

Most of the time. Which is weird, because we NEVER ate dinner in the living room when I was growing up...

[Tasan]

Most of the time. Which is weird, because we NEVER ate dinner in the living room when I was growing up...

Completely opposite here. We always ate in front of the TV growing up. My wife's family, however, NEVER did, and that's carried through to our family. I often find myself eating quickly to go watch something, or if the Cowboys are on, I excuse myself with my plate, apologize to the wife and go watch the game.

[wade moore]

As a kid we always ate in the living room.

My wife and I did the same until we moved into our new house in June. We have vowed to never eat in front of the TV again. I've found that eating at the table with no TV has done wonders for being able to keep up with what each other is doing, etc, etc.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Usually, but that's because there's a TV in the kitchen & we eat at the center island.

[lighthousekeeper]

Most of the time. Which is weird, because we NEVER ate dinner in the living room when I was growing up...

+1

[Fidatelo]

Growing up we were allowed to eat dinner in the kitchen (which could see the living room TV) only when my Dad was away (about 40% of the time with his job). When the whole family was together we ate in the dining room.

Currently with my wife I think we've eaten in front of the TV once or twice since we've been together. I don't intend to do it much more once we have kids, especially now that we have a PVR.

[MacroGuru]

I put sometimes...

My standing rule is eat at the table, because I have traveled for the past 11 years of my married life I never really got to find out a lot about my kids and such, so the dinner table is where we eat and talk about things UNLESS there is a live event or BYU game on then we will watch t.v.

[Malificent]

Only when it is just the wife and I at home. If it is a family dinner, never in front of the TV.

[chesapeake]

Only when it is just the wife and I at home. If it is a family dinner, never in front of the TV.

+1, for the most part.

[Subby]

If I lived in a trailer park I totally would do that.

[MikeVic]

The kitchen over-sees the living room, so I watch TV with every meal at home. When I move out, that'll test whether I need the TV. I'm thinking yes.

[Lathum]

If I lived in a trailer park I totally would do that.

you really are a dick.

[PackerFanatic]

Most of the time. Which is weird, because we NEVER ate dinner in the living room when I was growing up...

Ditto.

This will likely change once my daughter is old enough to sit at a table and eat, just because I enjoy sitting at the table.

[JediKooter]

Yes. My bedroom is my living and my dining room all in one.

[timmynausea]

Usually, but that's because there's a TV in the kitchen & we eat at the center island.

Close to the same for us. We mostly eat at a snack bar between the kitchen and living room and can see the TV.

[lurker]

We kind of treat eating dinner in front of the tv as popcorn at the movies -- it just makes it a more fun event. Since all the shows we watch together usually involve us talking about the shows (usually to mock) while we watch, it makes sense to do it while eating dinner. We still talk plenty, all evening long, so it's not a problem for our relationship. Plus, it's not like most people that watch tv together are staring at it in rapt attention, not interacting with each other at all.

When I was a kid, we would usually watch Jeopardy while eating -- somebody who assumes only trailer trash watches tv while eating must have a pretty limited imagination.

[BrianD]

I ate in front of the TV often while growing up. Now that it is just me and my wife, we rarely eat in front of the TV. Since we end up watching a fair amount of TV, this is a nice change of pace to give us some time that it different from the norm.

[Subby]

you really are a dick.
I bet if you had started your morning off with a mimosa you wouldn't be so fucking judgemental.

[Lathum]

I bet if you had started your morning off with a mimosa you wouldn't be so fucking judgemental.

Judgemental?

says the guy who compares more then half of us to trailer park trash, what makes you any better then someone who lives in a trailer?

[jeheinz72]

If we're eating with the kids, then at the table, no TV.

If it's just my wife and I, it's in front of the TV

[Subby]

Is that a trick question?

[Mustang]

Me and the wife always ate in front of the TV before our daughter was born. Since then, we have made it a point to eat dinner at the kitchen table with no TV. I'd rather get into that habit so I'll have some time with my kids at night when I get back from work rather than plunk down in front of the TV.

[Drake]

I eat in front of Subby's TV.

[Izulde]

As a kid, we ate in the living room unless it was a special occassion like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or the like.

After I left home, I got into the habit of not eating in front of a television and now eating in front of a TV is so unnatural to me that even when I go home, I eat in the kitchen.

[lurker]

Are you people who are not watching tv during dinner also not watching tv at all? That's the sort of judgmental attitude I can at least understand. I don't understand what the problem is with combining the two activities as long as that's not all you're doing that evening. It actually seems better to eat while watching instead of just watching, if you know there's something you want to see. Then you can get up and do something after. Don't you people talk to your spouses without the dinner table forcing you to sit down?

This is probably different if you have kids and want to make sure you talk to them and that's the only way you'll interact with them.

[Subby]

television is for commoners although I do watch masterpiece theater once in while

[Honolulu_Blue]

It's just Lady H_B and I, but we try to eat in the dining room more often than not. I'd say we eat in front of the television maybe twice a week or so.

[BrianD]

Are you people who are not watching tv during dinner also not watching tv at all? That's the sort of judgmental attitude I can at least understand. I don't understand what the problem is with combining the two activities as long as that's not all you're doing that evening. It actually seems better to eat while watching instead of just watching, if you know there's something you want to see. Then you can get up and do something after. Don't you people talk to your spouses without the dinner table forcing you to sit down?

This is probably different if you have kids and want to make sure you talk to them and that's the only way you'll interact with them.

I don't think there is a problem of eating and watching the TV at the same time, but I do know some families that come home from school/work, sit down in front of the TV, eat, and stay there until it is time for bed. If I allowed myself that kind of option, I'd probably do the same thing. For me, eating away from the TV is my way to be sure I have time to share the day's activities with my wife.

[BrianD]

One other thing I should mention is that my wife likes to cook and she likes to experiment. Because of this we rarely have the same meal more than once or twice. If she is going to make the effort to be creative in the kitchen, I feel like I owe it to her to appreciate the meal and her while we share it. It is an extra little experience that I don't think we'd get if we were watching TV at the same time.

[Cringer]

We eat in front of the TV. I used to live in a trailer for a couple of years at one point too, Subby. Then again, being a truck driver I think that is all pretty much expected of me and I take no offense at all.

[wade moore]

Are you people who are not watching tv during dinner also not watching tv at all? That's the sort of judgmental attitude I can at least understand. I don't understand what the problem is with combining the two activities as long as that's not all you're doing that evening. It actually seems better to eat while watching instead of just watching, if you know there's something you want to see. Then you can get up and do something after. Don't you people talk to your spouses without the dinner table forcing you to sit down?


Wow - what an idiotic response.

But, to address your questions.

I don't have a "problem" with watching tv while eating, I just choose not to do it. It gives a dedicated time when we can have dedicated time to talk while we're eating - just like you like to accomplish tv and eating at the same time. It means we know there will be 30ish minutes a day that we will be talking without other tasks/distractions.


As a side note - a recent study showed convincingly that people eat more when they watch TV and eat.

[Subby]

We eat in front of the TV. I used to live in a trailer for a couple of years at one point too, Subby. Then again, being a truck driver I think that is all pretty much expected of me and I take no offense at all.
Well at least I know that you know that nothing I say on this site is even remotely serious.

Except for that stuff I said about Drake.

[wade moore]

That's the sort of judgmental attitude I can at least understand... ...Don't you people talk to your spouses without the dinner table forcing you to sit down?

Oh and - way to call the pot black there kettle.

[wade moore]

Plus, it's not like most people that watch tv together are staring at it in rapt attention, not interacting with each other at all.


I missed this post initially.

FWIW - this is how we watch TV. I see no problem with it.

[cuervo72]

television is for commoners although I do watch masterpiece theater once in while

Is that the one with Cookie Monster? I *love* that show!

[MacroGuru]

Are you people who are not watching tv during dinner also not watching tv at all? That's the sort of judgmental attitude I can at least understand. I don't understand what the problem is with combining the two activities as long as that's not all you're doing that evening. It actually seems better to eat while watching instead of just watching, if you know there's something you want to see. Then you can get up and do something after. Don't you people talk to your spouses without the dinner table forcing you to sit down?

This is probably different if you have kids and want to make sure you talk to them and that's the only way you'll interact with them.

Nope, not using the dinner table to force me to sit down and talk with my spouse, we talk all the time. It's family time for us, we talk about everything, joke around and have a good time and sometimes we just keep going past the point when we are all done eating. It will turn sometimes into a board game or story telling time.

For me, it's disconnecting my kids from electronic stimulus (T.V., gameboy, Wii, 360, ipod, computer) and having them actually interact. A lot of kids these days are lacking the social skills due to the fact they never unplug, I don't want my kids in that bracket. In fact, my 11 year old is running a successful business now because of one of our discussions at dinner over a year ago.

[korme]

I intentionally always get Chipotle with my roomate to go now, usually during times when Scrubs or King of Queens or any other badass rerun comedy show is on. Screw you, Friendship Builder! I've fictional characters to watch!

[JetsIn06]

Don't have any other place to eat - only table I've got is a coffee table in front of the TV. :D


Same here. No room in the kitchen for a table and no dining room.

[Cringer]

How many people eat dinner in front of the TV, AND watch WWE while eating? That is my question.

[rjolley]

The kitchen over-sees the living room, so I watch TV with every meal at home. When I move out, that'll test whether I need the TV. I'm thinking yes.
Pretty much the same for me. However, over the last couple of months, we've started to put on XM through DirecTV instead of an actual tv channel.

[cartman]

I only eat off of the ironing board, facing the wall.

[lurker]

Wow - what an idiotic response.

But, to address your questions.

I don't have a "problem" with watching tv while eating, I just choose not to do it. It gives a dedicated time when we can have dedicated time to talk while we're eating - just like you like to accomplish tv and eating at the same time. It means we know there will be 30ish minutes a day that we will be talking without other tasks/distractions.


As a side note - a recent study showed convincingly that people eat more when they watch TV and eat.

Calm down. It was pretty obvious that implying only people that live in trailers watch tv during dinner was the judgmental comment I was replying to. The implication I was responding to was that it is possible to have real conversations with your spouse even if you're not doing it during dinner.

[Autumn]

Wow, I'm really surprised by these results so far. Good poll.

[Autumn]

One other thing I should mention is that my wife likes to experiment. If she is going to make the effort to be creative, I feel like I owe it to her to appreciate her while we share it. It is an extra little experience that I don't think we'd get if we were watching TV at the same time.

Here, fixed that for you. No need to be coy, we're all adults here. ;-)

[BrianD]

I was wondering if someone was going to "fix" that post. :)

[wade moore]

Calm down. It was pretty obvious that implying only people that live in trailers watch tv during dinner was the judgmental comment I was replying to. The implication I was responding to was that it is possible to have real conversations with your spouse even if you're not doing it during dinner.

People who take Subby seriously are funny.

[Marc Vaughan]

We generally eat around a table - its a habit I like and try to keep, only exception are rare pizza nights where we'll tuck into bed with the kids and watch a movie with pizza and junk food on hand .... yes it can be messy but its fun :D

[JonInMiddleGA]

...This is probably different if you have kids and want to make sure you talk to them and that's the only way you'll interact with them.

I guess I'm pretty close to the same page about this to be honest, but we really don't have anything resembling what appears to be the "normal" routine around my house.

Working together, from home offices, means my wife & I are literally interacting all day and it runs the gamut from work stuff to homeowner stuff to random trivia/gossip stuff. When our son gets home from school, pretty much everything stops for her to got through the "what you did today" routine, I usually get about half of the details then & the rest later ... because he's within 15 feet of me for the bulk of the time between homework & bed.

Basically the degree of interaction is so high that dinner at home (which isn't more than 2-3 days a week anyway) is more like a break from the interaction if anything. We kind of small talk through it but nothing particularly serious since that usually ain't good for digestion ;)

[Cringer]

I guess I'm pretty close to the same page about this to be honest, but we really don't have anything resembling what appears to be the "normal" routine around my house.

Working together, from home offices, means my wife & I are literally interacting all day and it runs the gamut from work stuff to homeowner stuff to random trivia/gossip stuff. When our son gets home from school, pretty much everything stops for her to got through the "what you did today" routine, I usually get about half of the details then & the rest later ... because he's within 15 feet of me for the bulk of the time between homework & bed.

Basically the degree of interaction is so high that dinner at home (which isn't more than 2-3 days a week anyway) is more like a break from the interaction if anything. We kind of small talk through it but nothing particularly serious since that usually ain't good for digestion ;)

Once again, we are alike in something. It scares me what I may become. ;)

So for 9 years I never was home anyways, so I won't count that because it's different. Since then though... Both the wife and I basically work from the home, and to take it a step further my daughter is home schooled. The three of us are together all day most of the time. The exception being the last couple months when my daughter spent days at the Parks & Rec get some good old fashion interaction with friends and other kids. Dinner isn't exactly a big deal for us as it would be for others, it's just the last meal of the day.....

And to quote the great Shin Chan "This food needs TV."

[Galaxy]

Interesting thread.

It seems tough in today's society, with all the sports/after school activities, busy working moms and parents, if this is a key part of the trouble with marriages and families (and keeping your children on a successful, trouble-free path).

[SackAttack]

Never used to.

My desk is the only table in my apartment at this point in time, and the PC is now hooked up to the TV, so I generally take my meals at the computer (which really isn't any different from how it was in CA, 'cept the PC has a 32" screen instead of a 17" screen).

[Schmidty]

I never realized people were so passionate about where they eat until this thread.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I eat on TV. It's the "Pumpy Eats a Pop-Tart" show, and it is nationally syndicated. It comes on in most markets between "Cheaters" and "Charles in Charge" reruns. I even had Willie Aames on my show as a guest star, and he ate a Pop-Tart, but then I punched him in the gut because he was making too much noise and generally being a dick.

Bibleman, my ass.

[cartman]

I eat on TV. It's the "Pumpy Eats a Pop-Tart" show, and it is nationally syndicated. It comes on in most markets between "Cheaters" and "Charles in Charge" reruns. I even had Willie Aames on my show as a guest star, and he ate a Pop-Tart, but then I punched him in the gut because he was making too much noise and generally being a dick.

Bibleman, my ass.

Get Nicole Eggert on there, then I'm a dedicated viewer.

[RendeR]

Our house has a tiony kitchen, but the livingroom/dining room/office space is one huge 21x22 foot room, so if/when we all manage to eat together we're all in there and so is the main TV.

[Toddzilla]

Nope - dinner time is family time.

Call me square, but we sit down at the kitchen table - my wife, daughter and I - and talk about our day.

Best part of my day.

[Toddzilla]

I eat on TV. It's the "Pumpy Eats a Pop-Tart" show, and it is nationally syndicated. It comes on in most markets between "Cheaters" and "Charles in Charge" reruns. I even had Willie Aames on my show as a guest star, and he ate a Pop-Tart, but then I punched him in the gut because he was making too much noise and generally being a dick.

Bibleman, my ass.I like the spin-off, "HA f*cks a Pop-Tart". The episode where he left it in the toaster too long was my favorite

[Pumpy Tudors]

I like the spin-off, "HA f*cks a Pop-Tart". The episode where he left it in the toaster too long was my favorite
CAUTION: FILLING IS HOT

[FrogMan]

Nope - dinner time is family time.

Call me square, but we sit down at the kitchen table - my wife, daughter and I - and talk about our day.

Best part of my day.

same here. When we got our house built, we specifically did the floorplan so that no TV would be visible from the dining room...

FM

[spleen1015]

You can see my tv from the table, so we do most of the time. If there's heavy shit going on with someone in the family, the tv isn't on.

And I agree, Subby is a dick.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I tried doing dinner without the TV. Every time my wife and I tried to talk about our day, though, she kept bragging about how much sex she was getting. So I got pretty tired of that shit.

[Toddzilla]

I tried doing dinner without the TV. Every time my wife and I tried to talk about our day, though, she kept bragging about how much sex she was getting. So I got pretty tired of that shit.I was gettin' pretty tired too...

[MikeVic]

The TV eats dinner in front of me.

[spleen1015]

I was gettin' pretty tired too...

Awesome.