Back in Switzerland, we eat normally between 7-8, sometimes 9 in the summer. One night while in the US we ate at 4:30 pm and my mom thought this was normal. We're meeting family tonight for dinner at 6, everyone thinks this is a little late.
Usually between 6:30 - 7:30 if we're at home, sometimes as late as 8. When I make dinner reservations, we usually shoot for 7 or 7:30, which I think is a little bit early for here (UK). It seems like restaurants are empty when we get there, and full when we leave.
Another huge difference with Europe and the US is how quickly Americans eat. H is visiting the US with me this time and he asked me last night why it feels like every meal has been so rushed. I miss the long, calm meal times of Europe!
At 6, but we have a 4 year old and an 8 month old.
Sent from the future.
Understandable with children. I was a nanny for a family from Rome and the children would eat at 7, while their parents ate at 9 or later. 7 was even a bit late for the kids, they were too tired to eat most of the time.
At 6, but we have a 4 year old and an 8 month old.
Sent from the future.
Understandable with children. I was a nanny for a family from Rome and the children would eat at 7, while their parents ate at 9 or later. 7 was even a bit late for the kids, they were too tired to eat most of the time.
I'm not one of those moms who's hyper-vigilant about schedules for kids, but the mood can seriously disintegrate quickly here in the evenings. The baby definitely wants his PJs and boob by 7.
Pistache -- H and I vacationed in Italy in May, and one of the things that we noticed was parents with really little kids hanging out in the plazas or eating dinner at 11pm. And all of them were really well-behaved!!!
Around 6. Also because of kids. Without them, it woud be around 8. I don't think late is the norm here, though. I think 5-6 is. About thst time there is NO ONE in the grocery stores and there are a zillion delivery dudes racing around.
In France, on a weekday I feed M around 7pm and we eat after he goes to bed and H is home from work so usually around 9pm. On weekends we try to eat together as a family. The 4 weeks I've been in Canada, we eat around 6.30 to 7pm and always as a family, it's nice to eat all together. When we are back in France next week I want to try to eat my dinner with M even on weekdays, even though it's early for me, he really likes eating as a family. H will just have to eat on his own when he gets home.
Between 9 and 10 usually. I would prefer between 8 and 9 and sit longer, but that's just sucky for DH as he'll need to rush way too much to get home.
My Dutch family all eats at 6pm. Always. A late dinner is 7 at the latest.
My American family differs, mostly depending - per family - on job and kids situation, but on holidays it's always 3.30 or 4pm at the latest, which just confuses DH ("but that's really just a slightly late lunch, why do they insist on calling it dinner?") and leaves me to snack on chips and cookies all day because first I miss lunch so I'm hungry and snacking, and then dinner is so early that by the time 8pm comes around I really need something to eat.
Post by crimsonandclover on Jan 3, 2013 14:18:23 GMT -5
6 because of DD. Before her, though, it wasn't usually later, just more flexible. I'm almost always ready for dinner between 5-6:30 at the latest, and that's also the time my family ate growing up.
BFP1: DD born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
BFP2: 3/18/12, blighted ovum, natural m/c @ 7w4d
BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w3d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence
In Spain we usually ate anywhere between 8:30-10ish. When going out to dinner with friends (or family) we rarely met up before 9/9:30 to start dinner which would usually end around midnight.
Here we eat whenever DH gets home or, if he isn't on his way home by around 8pm, I go ahead and eat. DH and I both eat lunch around 12 (instead of 2:30/3 in Spain) so we are usually hungry earlier for dinner. I eat lunch with DD, but feed her dinner around 6pm before starting her bedtime routine around 7.
Funny story about when we first came to Germany on an apartment hunt. Our flight was delayed and we got to our town around 10:30pm. The only thing that was open was the Kebab place...we went around to all the restaurants and they had all already closed their kitchens! Such a shock coming from Spain where dinner is usually served starting at 8:30 until midnight.
Then again I had a similar situation with my parents the first time we went to Spain from the US. We tried to find a place to eat dinner around 6...HA! Everywhere we went the kitchen was closed between lunch and dinner--not to open again until 8:30!
In Spain, where dinner is so late, when do you eat breakfast or lunch? Is there a big snack around 5? I would be so hungry by 9:30!
I have breakfast when I wake up, a small snack around 11, lunch at 3, a small snack around 5 and dinner late. When I work, I don't tend to have dinner until 11. That sucks!
In Spain, where dinner is so late, when do you eat breakfast or lunch? Is there a big snack around 5? I would be so hungry by 9:30!
I have breakfast when I wake up, a small snack around 11, lunch at 3, a small snack around 5 and dinner late. When I work, I don't tend to have dinner until 11. That sucks!
This is pretty much what my schedule looked like in Spain too. At first it's a tricky adjustment, but then it was really tough for me to switch eating schedule when we moved to Germany! All about getting used to it I guess.
We give N her tea/dinner between 5.30 and 6.30, depending on how the evening is going (sometimes we don't get home until 6) and then we eat once she is in bed, so around 7.30/8. During the week N has her main meal in creche at noon so the evening meal is lighter - maybe scrambled egg or beans on toast. I would like to have us eat together as a family more often and it does sometimes happen at the weekend, but more so for breakfast.
If we were to go out for a meal now (very rare!!) it would be a reservation for 8.30/9 once we've put her to bed for the sitter...
Here dinner is just a snack, the big meals are normally breakfast and lunch. I had a hard time adjusting, though I have started to enjoy the fact that I don't have to cook a big meal in the evenings. Now I usually have what I would consider a "mini meal" at around 7:30 / 8 (depending how late DH gets home).
I typically eat between 7 and 8:30, sometimes around 6 or even earlier if I have something to do like a movie. I like going to movies at 7 or 8ish, so I will eat out earlier then but it isn't the norm. I guess I've never had a specific rule about when to eat and we are quite flexible, if someone is hungry then we eat. Sometimes on the weekend, I like having a lingering later dinner at 8 or 9 that goes on. I definitely eat slowly and in a relaxed manner when dining out socially. I only really eat quickly when I have a short lunch break and I'm really hungry, I do think that it's a bit antisocial IMO to rush unless you have somewhere to go.
I think that my Midwestern family does tend to eat earlier. They also tend to go to bed earlier too. I know that a lot of Midwestern offices tend to close a bit earlier than those here in the East Coast. It is common for Midwestern offices to close for the evening at 4:30 pm whereas that's unusual in East Coast cities.
We have dinner at around 6pm. Or just after DH gets home from work. I am a SAHM and I have a young child so that is why it is possible. On a Monday night DS will have dinner at around 5pm and then a snack at 7pm, and DH and I will eat at around 8pm but that is because I have a regular meeting at 6pm on a Monday night. DH usually comes home hungry for supper so it works for us.
Post by Shreddingbetty on Jan 4, 2013 10:45:00 GMT -5
We typically eat anywhere between 5:30-7 PM. It sort of depends on how long it takes me to cook and when we have left overs we tend to eat a little earlier. DD goes to bed around 715 and we feel that it is important for us to eat as a family most weeknights. Sometimes nieces have things going on or DH gets home late so then DD and I will eat without them. We are also up by 6-630 and have breakfast by 7, lunch around 1130-12.
When we are in Europe we shift things around. Since we can sleep in we tend to go to bed later and sleep later. DD would go to bed at 9-10 and sleep til about 830-9. We would eat dinner at around 7 or so.
I used to like the late long dinners while in Europe before DD but with her that just isn't possible. She is usually good for an hour to an hour and a half. I honestly can't imagine that you have your kids eat early and then have an adult dinner later on. I can see doing that occasionally but not ont he regular. But I guess that is normal in France (and probably Italy too). I like having dinner as a family and I think it is important for DD to sit with everyone. Then again, I think (after reading French kids eat everything) that French kids tend to behave pretty well at the table and are used to long family dinners when they do have them.