Time for lunch!!!!

Hi! Just wondering if anyone has a set end time for lunch....whether kids are finished eating or not? I have a 3 year old dck who would take 3 hours to eat if I just left him. I am constantly saying things like "less talking, more eating"! It's not that he's not hungry... He'll just be busy chatting, even after I've put everyone else to bed ha ha! I don't care if he eats everything, just as much as he wants and he tells me when he is full. He is just painfully slow and starting to drive me nuts, ha ha!

I have a couple of quick eaters and then I have two very slow eaters. They have approximately half an hour for lunch. Once it's done, whether they are finished or not, i pick up the plates. Then we do a story time and it's nap. I don't allow any of them to sit there any longer to finish their food. Same at snack time, they don't get to sit there and take as long as they want to eat.

Don't worry they won't starve.

Ha! I have the opposite problem.... 3 bites; "I'm doooooone!"
If you are concerned, or it's bugging you, maybe set a timer? Determine that eating time is a certain number of minutes (be it 15 or 30 or whatever) and EVERYONE stays at the table for that long. If you're done, you wait politely and patiently, finish your drink or whatever. If you aren't done, too bad.
It sounds like mealtime has become too much of a social time for him. And I would just keep doing what you are doing, encouraging eating not chit-chat. A couple days of reminding him that he only has "until the beep" (on the stove timer or whatever you use) and him losing the plate before he is done should give him the message. And I would make sure parents know that that is the plan. If they seem to have an issue ("Well, why can't he take as long as he needs, it's not a big deal!") just remind them that you have other kids to take care of, get down for naps, and a routine to keep, etc.