Needless to say, we mothers find it really hard to get our kids to eat. This is specifically an even bigger problem on toddlers and school age. Even if we’ve manage to get them to eat what we know would be best for their health during their younger years, as they grow, they will eventually find more interesting types of food and their interest in veggies and fruits will change. And our world will turn differently. Eating time will always be a challenge. But it’s not always the food we present on the table that’s the problem. Oftentimes, there are distractions that will keep our children’s attention away from the dining table.
1. Television – I did a survey a very simple survey on this and invited fellow mothers to answer to my questions and I wasn’t mistaken on the number 1 post – television! Most toddlers and kids would like spend their time watching tv and believe me, they never get tired of it. Even if there are movies and shows that has been repeating over and over, they would still want to watch it. And when it is time to eat, you’ll hardly ever get them on the dining table until the show they are watching is over or worst, until they are satisfied and eventually feel hungry.
2. Gadgets – Oh there are a lot of them to mention – play station, wii, xbox, mobile phones are just some of them. And because they are kids, they just love to play and play and play. They forget about time, school work and only want to have fun all day. And these gadgets, are some of the kids best friends nowadays.
3. Toys – Dolls, playhouses, sandbox, toy cars, trains and more. Kids will never be kids without these and we, as parents give these things to them because they are something that every child would want to have. Something to REALLY have fun playing with. These toys will help them interact with their playmates too. But when they enjoy playing too much, they just don’t want to do other things anymore – eating included.
When I observe my girls on their eating and playing behavior, they will normally want to have shorter meal time and will want something easy to eat like hotdogs. But heck, I cannot give them hotdog all the time. And this is when the challenge will begin.
What you can do- Set house rules – be specific about play time, tv time, eating time, school work and sleep time. Kids tend to play all the time when they know there isn’t a single rule in the house that will keep them from doing all that they want.
- Get your rules known – don’t just simply write the rules and post them somewhere. Your kids need to learn and understand each of them. Explain and let them know the reason why you are doing it. They have to understand – else, they will just be treated as a bunch of parent-want-to-do-list for their kids and your children are most likely to do otherwise to piss you off.
- Stick to the rules – when you set something, you, as parent should be a good example. When it’s eating time, eat with your kids. Stop working and spend some time to be with them on the dining table.
- Chat with your children – ask about their day. Encourage a healthy conversation and let them express themselves. When a child wants to talk, he or she will have a lot of things to tell you. You will need more time to listen but just listen. Give yourself some time to get to talk to them. From these conversations, you will discover a lot of things that will be helpful in your parenting journey.
- Prepare more interesting Meals - this is something i find very challenging but definitely something very rewarding. When preparing meals, try to think of something that will get your children’s attention. Colorful meals are the best when it comes to this. Try to use variety of fruits in making snacks or you can add variety of vegetables on other dishes so they’ll find it more appealing and will eventually have them try it.
Parenting is an art too! It never is a routine job – it is a never ending process of improvement as well. Try to be a little crafty and give your kids something they will love every meal time. Most of the time, the hardest meals to prepare are the healthiest. But all is worth it when you see that your child enjoys eating.
I’m experiencing this with my youngest, who is 4. I find it hard to feed him when it’s time to eat. He’s always playing or watching the T.V. And all he wanted to eat are cookies, cupcakes and milk. I know, it’s not healthy. He needs to have a balanced diet. Maybe I haven’t found the right meal that he wanted. And I guess I really have to be strict with the no T.V. during mealtime. This article of yours is really helpful. It somehow gave me an idea on how to deal with my little problem. Thanks for sharing.
I’m happy you found it helpful. I normally inform my girls 5 minutes before eating time that I’ll soon be turning off the tv – so they know what to expect. And it works, they just need to be informed ahead of time instead of just turning off the tv.
Mealtimes are always a struggle between me and my 5-year old daughter. I can never get her to sit down for a meal. She’s always up and about, playing this and that. I always find myself chasing after her with a spoon. It’s not healthy, I know, and your tips have come like a blessing from the heavens.