Getting kids to eat shouldn’t be a problem. But getting children to eat and behave civilly at the table is a much bigger problem. Too often, mealtime can become a battleground when you have young children. Like many other areas of daily life, getting a child to eat is an activity where young children begin to exercise their desire for independence. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that you can’t force them to eat. And once they understand that part, they also realize that what they eat, how much they eat, and when they eat is something that worries their parents. Bingo: a battle in the making!

By creating rules and routines around and during meals, you can take control of that potential battleground so that mealtime is something to enjoy. As a parent, it’s up to you to show your child how to eat. It’s also your job to put the right food in front of them.

Between one and a half and two and a half years old, a toddler is perfectly capable of eating what the rest of the family eats, as long as it is mashed up or cut into small bites. He is also capable of feeding himself with a spoon and sippy cup. So now is a good time to start establishing some mealtime routines and rules.

Keep snacks to a minimum – Mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Children who are allowed to graze all day will find it difficult at mealtime. Period!

Offer meals to your child at regular times. Whenever possible, it is important to have fixed times for meals. Remember that young children have very little sense of time and transitions are difficult for them. Gives a warning when lunch or dinner time is approaching. Create a routine of what happens right before mealtime. For example, let’s pick up our toys, wash our hands, set the table, all this ‘routine’ will help them make that transition.

Keep portions small and introduce a wide variety of foods at an early age. You may notice that your child eats well at some times but not at others, or that he is more hungry at lunch than at dinner. If this is the case, adjust. As long as you offer him a balanced diet that includes all the major food groups, he’s likely to get what he needs, even if he only eats one good meal a day and snacks the rest of the time. Don’t try to force your child to eat, and definitely don’t offer options. When a child refuses to eat and parents begin offering options for something they know their child will eat, the food war has begun. If you resist the urge to offer something else, your child will learn to eat what you offer. Trust me, as long as you keep snacking to a minimum, your child will eat if he’s hungry. Don’t let your children write their own menus. And at the same time, respect the fact that, even as young children, we all have different likes and dislikes. Offer a wide variety of healthy and tasty foods. Your child’s taste buds will continue to change as they grow, so from time to time, reintroduce foods that they may have disliked at one time or another.

Don’t offer milk or juice too close to mealtime or with meals.. Offer water when possible, or a glass of milk after he has finished eating. Filling up on milk too close to mealtime or during lunch or dinner will affect your appetite.

Wait for your child to sit at the table. Don’t let them take their food and eat it elsewhere. A child who jumps in and out of his seat, runs off with his food to eat elsewhere, or falls in the middle of a meal with his mouth full and disappears under the table is trying to test his skills. boundaries. Many parents are afraid to introduce any form of discipline during meals because they are so focused on getting their children to eat that they turn a blind eye to unacceptable behavior. Insisting on basic rules like sitting at the table can result in a period where mealtime gets worse before it gets better, but it’s far better to get through that short period than prepare for a lifetime of battles all the time. time to eat. However, be realistic when it comes to how long you expect your child to sit at the table. Fifteen minutes is about as long as you can expect most children under the age of five to be seated at a table.

Offer lots of praise and encouragement for behaving well, but NOT for eating too much.. Having a second helping should not be associated with being good in your child’s mind. And don’t punish your child for not eating. Discipline your child at mealtimes only for unacceptable behavior such as hitting, throwing food, or refusing to sit at the table, never for not eating.

Families should try to eat together at least once a day.. If that’s not possible, and you need to feed your child beforehand, sit at the table with him. You’ll be reinforcing the ‘social’ part of a meal this way, and it’s an ideal time to start teaching them manners. Children should be taught to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Mealtime should be a fun and sociable family time.

Getting kids to eat and behave at the table doesn’t have to be a battle. Most of the difficulties that parents and children experience at mealtime can be avoided by following these basic guidelines. By not allowing food to become a battleground, by having realistic expectations about the type and amount of food your child will eat, by making the rules clear and consistently enforcing them, you can teach your children that mealtime is not just a time to nourish their bodies, but a wonderful social experience to enjoy.