Dinner time decisions

When I was working, it was really easy to work out what we were doing for dinner when.  I tended to eat at work, N would eat at either nursery or at the farm on non-nursery days, and OH would eat at the farm.  Obviously Friday to Sunday were normal family meals.  But now we’re trying to make decisions on when to eat dinner.

N’s still in nursery 2 days a week so eats at nursery.  We’d usually eat at home at 5pm with him, but now that’s the time I’m picking him up.

So it’s either eat after he’s gone to bed at 7 which is later than we’d want to eat, plus I have to spend the time I’d rather spend playing with him, preparing and cooking dinner.

Or, prepare it for 6ish, and let him sit at the dinner table with us, so he can have his milk then and a few bits if he wants them.  We did try this one day, and it wasn’t too bad.  He picked bits off his dad’s plate, but otherwise was happy just to sit with us while we ate.  But it seems really cruel to sit and eat in front of him.

It seems to be working so far having dinner later, but it is strange having a meal without N sitting there.  I prefer eating earlier which is why when I was working we tended not to eat together – getting back from work at 6 and then having to prepare and cook food meant eating ridiculously late, but not working given me chance to prepare everything a lot earlier in the day and just put it in the oven.

No idea what we’ll do once I get a new job.  I guess it’ll depend on whether I get something nearer home which would be the ideal.  That would enable us to still have dinner time together (although still without N as he’d be eating at his childcare).

Trying to coordinate does get complicated with family and working life.  What solutions have you worked out for your families?