Sorting out tea time (or dinner time)!

A few days ago, I decided that I was no longer going to cook and eat tea separately from the boys.

We used to cook for the boys who ate at 4.45 and then cook for us after the boys went to bed.

So we were cooking twice, making twice the mess, cleaning twice, snacking while they ate their tea, putting them to bed on empty-ish somachs ourselves and then finally eating our tea at about 7.15. Leaving tome fo approximately one 45 minute TV programme (or two if we are really living dangerously).

This worked when both boys were asleep by 6.30 (a loooong time ago), when onenor both needed more help with eating (and when N used to scream in response to his plate being full of unfamiliar food...what horror!). And also, when my working days were marred by very, very, necessary, long term sickness.

I just don't have the energy. I can list loads of good reasons to eat together:

Eating together as a family at the table is something I enjoy. It's a little bit of Hollywood glamour without bleaching or waxing.

Makes eating at home a lot more like eating out... I love eating out (and takeaways). So if we have tea with the boys perhaps fewer pizza delivery men will call.

I only have to cook one meal, once. I usually cooked the boys the same-ish as us but E always missed out on curry. He adores curry, so moving teatime will be better for the variety in both their diets.
I add lots of fruit and veg t meals, both obvious and hidden. Eating with the boys will help me and MrB to model good eating habits.

Note: I will make adjustments to N and E's meals to make them more palatable...I just want an easy life.

I don't have to freeze lots of toddler portions of leftovers and batch cooks. Always a good thing, as my freezer is rammed!

I will have more energy overall in the evenings, or just be less knackered.

Me and MrB get more time to catch up on telly in the evening, before the mandatory 'rock n' roll lights out by 10' kicks in.

Teaching table manners (hopefully by osmosis at their ages...)

Sitting down with them at the table stops me running around, faffing with the washer, or the tidying. Helping us all to focus on food.

Ok, so you can probably tell that I'm quote enamoured by this way of eating. It's revolutionary.

Please note that our younger selves, couldn't manage to eat tea at 5. We would be hungry too early. However, with two toddlers we go to sleep earlier. Voilà!

Also note that this plan is different on my work days as I often work until 4.30 and get home at about 5.15. They don't need a proper tea those nights, so I do simple stuff that can be eaten fast.