My wife is not familiar with the "kiddie table" concept at holiday dinners. I mentioned that I thought that most family gatherings involved a separate table where the younger generation sat. Usually in the kitchen or other adjoining room.
It was an amusing subject on Saturday when my MIL hosted a Hanukkah dinner for 15 at our house and we had two long tables set in the dining room and the older folks (60+) sat at one table and the younger folks (under 50) sat at the smaller table, kind of automatic like.. I was stuck smack dab in the middle age wise. LOL
Am I wrong in the assumption that the kiddie table is a normal occurrence?
as long as i can remember in my family, as well
Standard fare at my in-laws, but not at my parents. In fact, I like the "kiddie table" at my in laws. All of the "kiddies" are now in their 30's with kids who can fetch frosty adult beverages which is near the "grand kiddie table". 🙂
Always, there was a kid's table....still is today.
Always. Could it be something with the size of the family? I remember feeling grown up when I got bumped up to the main table. 😉
It was just a practical solution when I was growing up. We had large family gatherings with not just immediate family but with lot's of cousins. You could not fit all of us in one room, even our large dining room so card tables and other tables would be set up in the den or other rooms for the younger kids. We didn't use the name kiddie table but that's what they were in reality.
I sure miss those huge family gatherings. So many have moved away, passed and out family has grown much smaller. It was a hoot with 20 or so young kids and we would spend the afternoon playing football or other games outside even in the nastiest of weather.
No Adults Allowed Either
The kids preferred it that way.
It was standard at my mother's for Thanskgiving. The dining room was only so big, so a second table was set up in the living room
At my house the dining room opens full width to the larger living room, so we can keep adding tables end to end. The dining room table seats 6 snuggly (did it last night) and with 2 extra leaves seats 10. The drop leaf side table against the wall in the living room, after raising the drop leaves accepts 4 flat leaves (we only have 3) and can seat 10. We squeezed in 21 this past Thanksgiving. From there we move the kitchen table with 2 small leaves to add 6 more and then a card table for 3 more. With all of the above, the table gets an el shape once it gets close to the front wall. We have had up to 35 for Thanksgiving with 40 when we add in those that come only for desert and coffee. Thanksgiving day always ends with the "offivial viewing of Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation".
In the early years we would bring in a picnic table or two. We were given a 6' one piece folding table by my sister-in-law years ago but that sits in my office and the top has never seen the light of day since.
At our peak in my family I had 4 brothers and 3 sisters, all married with children, my wife had 2 brothers, 1 sister all married with children, our parents, children's boyfriends and girlfriends, a married cousin and son, an aunt and or uncle and maybe the pastor and wife. We hit the 35 the only time we had my whole family for Christmas. We can seldom get a quorum home at one time theses days. That is usually around Christmas, but with 5 of my family and 4 in my wife's having grandchildren holiday schedules get stretched out. We gave up the big Christms dinner years ago, and my wife does a huge Christmas breakfast gift exchange. We usualy sit down 12-15 and other's eat when they show up. Then a buffet at my wife's sister's.
New Year's Day pork supper has moved to our nephew's house as well as a couple of big Penn State away football game dinners. Then in March there is always the pig stomach dinner where all new family member spouses are required to learn to sew up the paunches.
Paul in PA
We had a Kid’s Table at my family gathering when I was growing up. You would get moved to the “Big Table” when you got married. Then you were demoted when you had kids until they could feed themselves without making a mess.
..."I mentioned that I thought that most family gatherings involved a separate table where the younger generation sat. Usually in the kitchen or other adjoining room."
Or next door 😉
Spent all weekend setting up my house for the big SERIES of dinners on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Brunch and for Christmas evening. The first two meals will have a Kiddie Table setup for Grandsons.
With my seven kids and her two with extended families, it makes quite a gathering ...
That was the norm back in the day for us. Usually 3 or 4 card tables for the young'ns and sometimes 2 full size dinner tables on huge ocassions. The usual kitchen "eatin" table sat about a dozen with both leaves in. The big fancy "eatin" table had about 4 leaves and sat near about 20 with people doubled up on the ends and squeazing in on the corners. That of course meant lots of elbow knocking. I'd have to sit down and do some serious cyphering on the numbers but I'd guess the biggest ocassion (circa 74) had about 50 of us. Why no pictures were taken just escapes me. I think that time, both big tables were fully seated plus 4 card tables and the sun-room table (which sat 6 easily)
Multiple tables are great. That way not everyone gets stuck listening to Ol' Uncle Frank tell the same horrible story about something you don't want to hear ever again. (BTW....I'm morphing into being Ol' Uncle Frank more and more each year.)
