Do you think it's rude

[jgenie]

for someone to read during a meal when there are other people at the table?

[Reyadawnbringer]

Yes, I do. The table is where a family comes together and discusses the day and such. Reading is a mostly individual activity which excludes the rest of the people at the table.

[ett]

I voted yes, but I will admit that I was reading a book while waiting for DS2 to finish his meal at McDonalds last week. DS2 is a very slow eater and the more I talk to him the slower he will eat.

[Globetrotter]

Depends.. we eat in shifts so it's very informal, and I've given up on telling the kids not to read while they eat (choosing battles, and all).

With anyone other than family, yes, I think it's rude.

[jbbhb]

In general, yes, but occasionally DH and I will read the newspaper during breakfast...

[SnuggleBuggles]

I read at that table. My dad read at the table. My brother read at the table. I still chat with people but at home, with my immediate family I do read. Anyone beyond my immediate family, no.

Beth

[Neatfreak]

At restaurants or when we're all together for dinner, yes, I consider that rude. When we're eating dinner at different times due to different schedules, I don't mind at all.

[hillview]

In general, yes, but occasionally DH and I will read the newspaper during breakfast...

:yeahthat:

[MoJo]

I voted yes, but made exceptions when DH HAD to get work done, and I certainly don't count it as rude to read when not eating with others. I wouldn't even count it as rude to read the paper "together."

[bnme]

I voted other. It really depends. DH and I often read the Sunday paper at breakfast. And will sometimes read a magazine at lunch since the kids are watching Sponge Bob :bag. I think it is a definite no-no at restaurants and formal/holiday diners.

[TwinFoxes]

In general yes, I think it's rude. But one of the pre-kids things I look back fondly on is eating brunch with DH and sharing the newspaper with him. Sigh. :) But just whipping out a book at a meal seems rude to me.

[artvandalay]

Yes, it's rude.

[crl]

In general yes, I think it is rude. But I agree with others that reading the newspaper over an informal brunch or breakfast is fine. My family generally considers breakfast wake up time not socializing time, if we are eating together it is more or less a coincidence anyway, so reading at breakfast is okay in our family.

Catherine

[momm]

I assume you mean informal reading, such as reading a novel. I voted yes.

DH reads / studies when he has an exam coming up and it's not rude at all, I encourage him to do it.

[Corie]

Yes, I find that extremely rude.

[Penny's Pappa]

Technically, yes, especially if it's at a restaurant or with guests, but we're normally very informal when it comes to eating dinner so we wouldn't consider some light reading at the table to be rude.

[elliput]

Yes, I find it extremely rude. And my DH does it all.the.time. Pisses me off, especially since it is usually the one time during the day when the whole family is engaged in the same activity.

[trales]

I grew up in a house that read at dinner, never when we were out or had guests.

The boarding school I worked at had a faculty table set aside specifically for people who wanted to sit and read rather than chat. I sat there a lot.

We read a few nights a week at dinner here. Not on weekends, when I have a bigger meal. Just during the week when dinner is more hodge podge and informal.

[carolinamama]

For an organized family meal, it is rude but for an informal shift type meal, I do like to read the newspaper as does DH. For example, weekend breakfast where kids have already eaten and we are just having toast or a bowl of cereal. I often flip through a magazine too if I am the only one eating.

[Uno-Mom]

In general - sitting at a table with people means you are going to socialize with them. Then if you shut them out by reading - very rude.

I love to read while I eat but it's a solitary thing. Sometimes I specifically as DH to have breakfast with Sprog because I need a relaxing, reading breakfast. But I don't sit at the table reading, I eat in bed or something.

DH and I used to go out for breakfast (pre-kid) and brought books to read while we woke up with coffee. Neither of us are good conversationalists pre-coffee and we enjoyed the company!

[LMPC]

I think it's rude since it excludes others and stymies conversation. FWIW, I also think it's rude when kids play video games at the table....for the same reasons.

[daisymommy]

No reading, cell phones, applying make-up, hand held video games, etc. at the table. Rude!
I do allow my kids to have the little coloring books and crayons at a restaurant, but that's as far as it goes with leisure items at the table.
Certainly not for adults.

[g-mama]

For adults, yes, I think it's rude.

But my 10yo will sometimes bring a book when we go out to a restaurant and read while waiting for the food to come. I don't have a problem with that, but yet I would have a problem if he played his DS. Somehow, it's different and I don't want to discourage reading in my kids.

[alien_host]

I would never read (except the menu ;)) at a restaurant (unless alone) or if we were invited guests at someone elses home. However like PPs have said, I'm OK with reading the newspaper on the weekends during breakfast or brunch if it is just us (i.e. no guests over). Even when we eat lunch on the weekends we often read the paper - we are around each other all day so we are doing plenty of talking.

We leave the newspapers piled on the kitchen table, which is not a great place for it b/c I have seen DH reading the front page while eating dinner. I don't love that but he does use the newspaper to wind down from work so if we don't have that much to say that day I don't really get on his case.

[Jo..]

I grew up an avid reader and always tried to sneak a book to the table for a few more pages, and always got cut off.

Outside of immediate family, yes it's rude. Always.

In our immediate family it depends...sometimes toward the tail end of dinner DH or I will start to talk about the upcoming week's menu, and grab a cookbook to flip through, etc. If we are having a quick casual meal at the kitchen island it's not unheard of for one of us to grab a magazine from the mail pile laying there and strat leafing through it. Probably not ideal, and if anyone wants to talk we just drop what we're reading, and we talk. (kids or adults)

[mousemom]

I grew up in a house where we often read at breakfast or lunch and I continue to do that now. DS has to be one of the slowest eaters in all of creation (seriously, lunch can take an hour and half). So, I'll talk to him for a bit while I'm eating and then flip through a newspaper or magazine while I wait for him to finish. We always eat dinner as a family and talk together then. And DS and I are together all day, so we spend plenty of time talking about our day. I just don't think of breakfast and lunch at home as big socializing meals, unless there happen to be guests present or it is some sort of special occasion.

[new_mommy25]

During breakfast, no it is not rude. No problem with anyone reading the paper, magazine, etc. Same goes for lunch. Dinner, on the other hand, there should never be reading.

[infomama]

Yes, I find that extremely rude.
What she said.

[Nooknookmom]

Kinda late but I had to post...I ALWAYS read at the table. Did it as a kid, even if I read the ketchup or mayo bottles, drove my Dad nuts. It relaxes me and it's just how I'm made. DD1 reads too, DH eats too fast to read or even talk to us at the table so it doesen't matter for our family. I read when my Mom & MIL are visiting, just how I work.

That said, if I had friends over for dinner, I would not read of course, that's rude!!