Kitchen

[J Town Girl]

What time do you usually serve dinner?  When I was  growing up dinnertime at our house was always between 5:30 and 6:00 PM.   I've always followed the same pattern as my mother did.  However recently I met someone who was surprised that my husband and I ate so early.  She commented that she and her husband never eat that early. I asked her what a regular dinnertime was for them and she answered around 8:00 PM.  

Now I realize that my husband and I are older and have no children.  For someone who might have children that are involved in many outside activities I could see such a late dinner hour.  However this lady and her husband are the same age as my husband and I. 

I would not like to have to clean up after a meal that late into the evening.  By 8:00 PM I'm already showered and into my pajamas and ready to enjoy my favorite TV shows.

I told my husband that I was going to post this question to see if we were like the couples on the sitcoms who go to the restaurant for the early bird specials. 

[Alsee]

We try to eat by 7 pm or the kids get too hungry.  Gives us time to get home from work and cook.

On weekends our schedule is really flexible depending on what's going on

[sandraskates]

No kids in the household. Hubby and I usually eat around 5:30 / 6pm. But if I'm working my second job it is more like 6:30 / 7pm.

I really don't like to eat too late because then I can't fall asleep. But there have been times when we're traveling that dinner doesn't happen until after 8 pm.

[Mominohio]

It has varied through life. 

When a kid it was five to six, when mom got home from work.

When it was just hubby and I, it was whatever our varied work schedule allowed.

When raising a kid, it was no later than five, because my husband left for work at 6:30 pm and we always ate as a family, together.

Now, our big meal is at about 1;30 in the afternoon, as my kid is at work during the day and not here, my husband leaves to work second shift at 2:30 pm. My kid often doesn't come home till 10 pm. so I eat something light later in the evening around 7 or 8, and my kid grabs a plate when he comes in.

If we are lucky, we are all home for breakfast and supper on the weekends, but not always.

[tansy]

My husband and I are early birds -- one of the best things about finally getting old.  😏

I like having dinner out of the way and enjoying the evening.

Many times we eat a larger meal at lunch and something small for dinner.

[ECBG]

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@Alsee wrote:

We try to eat by 7 pm or the kids get too hungry.  Gives us time to get home from work and cook.

On weekends our schedule is really flexible depending on what's going on

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*******This was exactly us!  He was starting to work in computers and drove as much as three hours away.  Some of those nights were hard.  Esp trying to make it to scouts for eleven years!

[Desertdi]

I worked graveyard for years...........still eat my dinner at 6 a.m.

[Pook]

Growing up we always ate around 5:30 or 6:00 and still do now.  Eating later would not be good for the digestive system as it is closer to bed time.

[Nataliesgramma]

We used to eat at 5:30, but it it 4:30 now that we are retired....

When I was growing up, dinner was at 5PM SHARP. You have beeter been at the table all washed up when the clock struck 5....or you were in BIG trouble...LOL

[Zita]

Fun to see all your replies. I am widowed now, but in the past, we ate by 5:30 p.m. Now I eat around 5 since I don't do lunch.

Your subject reminded me that my mother never called us to dinner -- when it was ready she said "wash your hands!" and that was our signal. She was obsessed with germs and preventive measures, which wasn't all that common when I was growing up.