This mom makes dinner for her kids at 3 p.m.—and it’s actually genius 

Who says dinner time has to be in the evening? Is there a law that dictates meal times? Why don’t we all just eat when we’re hungry and when our schedules allow? That’s the thinking one mom used when she decided to start feeding her kids dinner at 3 p.m. She shared a TikTok video about it that went viral because of how simple and genius it is, and once you watch this, you may find yourself making an early dinner in the middle of the afternoon, too.

“I feel my kids at 3 p.m., and I’m going to tell you why,” TikTok mom Aims says in her now-viral video. “Currently 2:39 p.m., I am making dinner.”

She continues, “My kids have just woken up from a nap, and I chucked them straight in the bath…They always wake up from their nap ravenous, so why not feed them the most amount of nutrients now, and then snack later?”

Aims explains that she has a 1, 3, and 5-year-old. She shows off the broccoli, bacon, and cheese pizza she’s prepping for them as she talks, and it does look like an amazing dinner. She also tosses some chicken nuggets in the air fryer and cleans up the bathroom quickly while everything cooks.

Then, at 2:52 p.m., she points out that all the kids are clean, the bathroom is clean, and dinner is ready to serve — as soon as she chops up some fruit and veggies and makes some green smoothies for everyone to have with their nuggies. The nutrients these kids are consuming are downright impressive.

Once the kids are done eating, Aims cooks dinner for the grownups in the house. Then, the kids get an ice cream dessert, which means she and her husband get to eat in peaceful silence, because all three kids are happily chowing down on their sweets. This hack just gets more and more genius.

At the end of her video, she explains, “It frees up the rest of the night. Play games. I can do a workout. So, there’s no pressure. If they’re hungry later we do bedtime toast.”

In the comments, other parents praised Aims for the brilliant idea.

“I love when people realise there are better times to eat than the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner times,” one wrote.

Another added, “Did you just crack the code to getting through the 4-6pm craze?!?”

But as some parents pointed out, a schedule like this does require some privilege, because not every family will be able to do this with work and childcare schedules.

“I’m seeing this good idea, reading aaaall of the comments and wondering.. but where are the working moms? I KNOW there are moms that work?”

Overall, it’s a good reminder that conventional meal times don’t have to be the law, and to do what works for your family!

A version of this post was published in February 2024. It has been updated.