Sims won't use nearest furniture while eating/reading

It's the worst when toddlers go across the house to eat something in order to be near another sim or be on the comfiest seat because it takes them forever to get there. In the first generation of my current save, most of the family would bypass the kitchen, dining room, and living room to gather in the office to eat and chat if one sim was already in there, I guess because they really liked the seating. They also gathered there to do homework as well.