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When it comes to big holiday family dinners, do you like to eat at the grown up table or the kids table?

I always go for the kid's table, cuz I'd rather talk about legos and video games than politics and 401Ks other boring grown up things.

How about you?

I'm soon to be 30 and I've never even been given the choice of sitting at the grown-up table. Which would be fine, except that I really don't relate all that much to the other kids in my family. And there's always at least one of my cousins that brings a drop dead gorgeous woman with way too much cleavage, and then I'm stuck staring at my plate out of fear of making a faux pas.

Dem 1st world problems, I tell ya.

For me, I'm one of the youngest in my family so I've always been at the kids table, then some distant family relations invited us to thanksgiving and my cousin was closer in age to me we were the kids table (just he and I) so it was kind of our thing as we grew up. We would eat by ourselves, discussing toys, legos, video games, etc... It's not a slam against my older family members, but I don't really give a rat's arse about those sort of things.

Im trying ti instigate a kids table at my dinners, but no one will take it.

We never had a kids table. My grandparents always came to visit for Thanksgiving and they spoiled the gak out of my sister and me. Probably my dad's best meals were Thanksgiving ones. Old pop knows how to make a turkey (not stuffing though, my mom always had to make the stuffing).

 Kovnik Obama wrote:
I'm soon to be 30 and I've never even been given the choice of sitting at the grown-up table. Which would be fine, except that I really don't relate all that much to the other kids in my family. And there's always at least one of my cousins that brings a drop dead gorgeous woman with way too much cleavage, and then I'm stuck staring at my plate out of fear of making a faux pas.

Dem 1st world problems, I tell ya.

I'd make her faux pas.

I mean, err, more cleavage- uhm, cabbage?

At my mom's family, it's adults and most kids at one table, my gamer geek uncles and me at another table. Works out well.

At the step family house I'm stuck at the kids table. I'm also 28. I just discuss video games with the other guys there.

I can only recall a single time I have sat at "the kid's table" - there may have been more but I can't remember them if there were. I seem to remember it was at a Christmas meal with my mum's family (which is quite large) and there just was not enough room for everyone in one room, let alone at one table

Though I am the oldest of my current generation of brothers/cousins/etc (that live in the UK anyway), ranging from me to the youngest who is about 20 years younger than me

I don't really have a problem if I had to sit at the kid's table for some reason though. Not fussed where I sit so long as I get food

I'm the opposite.. I can't make a turkey, but I think I make killer stuffing. 2 bags of bread cubes (fresh, not croutons). Melt 2 sticks of butter, fry up some diced celery, carrots, onions and garlic. Add chicken stock + 2-3 tablespoons of chicken base and water for whatever the bags say you need, bring to a boil then add the cubes. Pretty easy

I also have to make the gravy too. I take the pan drippings and skim off all the fat, and then use like 5 packets of turkey gravy powder plus extra water to get whatever liquid the packet calls for. It makes super turkey-ish gravy. Everyone thinks it's some secret and only I can make the gravy right.

Segregation I tell you!
Prejudice at it's worst!

Never mind, I like the adult table or I will have to talk about Minecraft and Terraria for the 500th time. The kids are ruining my love for games...

I do find myself a bit lost at the adult table when they start talking about the latest hockey game, it all seems a bit silly when we have idiots like Rob Ford being mayor for our largest city and no-one can figure out how to get rid of him.

Kids table is too much "flavor of the moment taken to the extreme" while the adult table seems to be stuck on trivia and the latest news.

Religion, politics, philosophy and strong opinions are a great conversation... why do we have so few of these discussions?

My holiday special is cranberry sauce. I'm not talking, open the can, and slide it out and slice cranberry sauce, I'm talking mother fething cranberry sauce made from 2 pounds of real cranberries...

It's all I'm ever asked to bring anymore >_< Though my sage-butter turkey is killer too

Neither. Never had a kids table on holidays in my family. Kids were always sat in-between the adults. Made it easier to control them.

we always have to dumb canned cranberry sauce. I'd love to try and do a deep fried turkey some day, but I'm scared I'll blow the house up.

when I was growing up we always had italian thanksgiving. First everyone had "italian wedding soup", then homemade lasagna or stuffed shells, then turkey and everything else. And Xmas eve was always some kind of 7-fishes thing, and xmas day was Thanksgiving Book II.

Nowadays, we just dropped the pasta since grandmom isn't around anymore to enforce it, and we do turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, candied yams, green beans of some kind, brocolli rabe (?) and about 17 different pies for desert.

Here, try this this thanksgiving:
Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages cranberries, fresh
1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Directions

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.


That is the basic recipe, I've made upwards of 2 pounds of that stuff before when we made the rounds to family events.

We never had a kid's table, but I preferred to sit by the kids. For obvious reasons.

 Talizvar wrote:
Segregation I tell you!
Never mind, I like the adult table or I will have to talk about Minecraft and Terraria for the 500th time. The kids are ruining my love for games...

Oh god YES. My nephew wont stop talking to me about Sonic and how he loves it. Or Mario.
The worse is my Niece, Who constantly calls me ugly, and she means it. But then I put ghost pepper flakes on her food when she isnt paying attention.

I chose adult table because there isn't a kids table in my family. I'm 24 and my cousin is 23 - the rest of my relatives are 45+

Couch. With Football on. Makes going from dinner to food coma very easy.

Yeah, it is more: Do you prefer the Football Room or the Kitchen.

 mega_bassist wrote:
We never had a kid's table, but I preferred to sit by the kids. For obvious reasons.

 Talizvar wrote:

Religion, politics, philosophy and strong opinions are a great conversation... why do we have so few of these discussions?

Because it is generally (and unfortunately) considered impolite to bring up subjects that could lead to conflict?

Holidays are about consumerism and fake feelings of familial belonging, its not a time to reflect on your moral character and the *gasp* possibility that you are wrong and that others might be right.

In all seriousness though, we've never had a kid's table with my family maybe because my parents are the only one's with kids in the family (with the exception the grandparents).

Well, considering that I am only sixteen, I feel compelled to vote for "Kid's table", as the majority of my cousins are not only female, but also of comparable age. Therefore, I do not have to endure the tedium of conversing with children who talk only of the latest video game (a subject I have little interest in), and can instead freely discuss whatever we feel like talking about. In comparison, the adult table (considering my family background) will normally revolve around subject matters regularly discussed already over family meals at home, or such useless tripe as the folly of British politicians.

-Shrike- wrote:
Well, considering that I am only sixteen, I feel compelled to vote for "Kid's table", as the majority of my cousins are not only female, but also of comparable age. Therefore, I do not have to endure the tedium of conversing with children who talk only of the latest video game (a subject I have little interest in), and can instead freely discuss whatever we feel like talking about. In comparison, the adult table (considering my family background) will normally revolve around subject matters regularly discussed already over family meals at home, or such useless tripe as the folly of British politicians.

I thought all you british teens just occupied your days by wearing hoodies and rioting.

 Cheesecat wrote:

 mega_bassist wrote:
We never had a kid's table, but I preferred to sit by the kids. For obvious reasons.

Well, that sounds really bad re-reading it. Haha.

I've been at the "grown ups" table since I was 12, as in my family being able to sit up there is based more on wit, the ability to pay attention to, keep up with, and provide insight to whatever conversation is at hand. Sadly, that "rule" is apparently one in which, once you are at the grown ups table, the only time you no longer sit at the grown ups table is when you're dead.


And quite often times, like many families, mine own family "favorite" topic is politics.. a topic which, while I don't care as much about as some of the elder generation, it is one which I enjoy providing fuel to whatever fire is burning. And since it's family, and Ive known them literally my whole life, I know exactly how to get under each and everyone's skin, and poke just the right buttons to keep the conversation interesting.

 Bromsy wrote:

-Shrike- wrote:
Well, considering that I am only sixteen, I feel compelled to vote for "Kid's table", as the majority of my cousins are not only female, but also of comparable age. Therefore, I do not have to endure the tedium of conversing with children who talk only of the latest video game (a subject I have little interest in), and can instead freely discuss whatever we feel like talking about. In comparison, the adult table (considering my family background) will normally revolve around subject matters regularly discussed already over family meals at home, or such useless tripe as the folly of British politicians.

I thought all you british teens just occupied your days by wearing hoodies and rioting.

Only those who lack sophistication would riot. The remainder of the British populace are content to watch the entertainment they provide, whilst writing loquacious posts on online forums.
[Why isn't there an emoticon for an Ork wearing a monocle? ]

Seems applicable http://theoatmeal.com/comics/thanksgiving

I never sat at a kids table while growing up because there was such a huge difference in ages between all of the cousins that it just wouldn't work. By the time I was in school the next closest cousin in age was already in high school and by the time I was in highschool my younger cousins were only just starting first grade.

 Bromsy wrote:

I thought all you british teens just occupied your days by wearing hoodies and rioting.

Even the 'yoof' need a holiday.

The oldest child at my families kids table is a quarter of my age, I don't think that I would fit in.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I've been at the "grown ups" table since I was 12, as in my family being able to sit up there is based more on wit, the ability to pay attention to, keep up with, and provide insight to whatever conversation is at hand. Sadly, that "rule" is apparently one in which, once you are at the grown ups table, the only time you no longer sit at the grown ups table is when you're dead.

Lucky you. On one side of the family, I get to try to keep control of my much younger cousins. Which is not fun at all. At least on the other side everyone is my age and provide decent conversation.