How to create a good mealtime environment for your kids
Let me set the scene for you..
Your kiddo is quietly watching tv or playing on their ipad and you're cooking them dinner. She’s a picky eater and you're trying to get her to eat more vegetables so you decide to make broccoli with her usual chicken fingers, which she has eaten reluctantly a few times. When you tell her it’s time for dinner she throws a tantrum. You can’t get her to sit at the table, she doesn’t eat her broccoli and she ends up hungry for snacks an hour later. Does this scenario sound like dinner time at your house? If so, what changes could you make to your routine to make mealtimes go more smoothly? Following my six step guide for optimal mealtime can help you get there!
Step 1
Children respond well to structure and routine. Use a visual schedule that includes what you are having for dinner on it so your child knows what to expect. For example:
Afternoon schedule:
After school snack → yogurt and berries
Outside play time
Cook with mom
Dinner → Chicken nuggets and broccoli
Step 2
If your child has a difficult time sitting at the table, it is important to ensure their sensory needs are met before dinner. Instead of having them watch the tv / ipad before dinner, consider a sensory-based obstacle course instead. Is your child constantly moving? Consider deep pressure or heavy work activities. Is your child sluggish and distracted? Consider movement - based activities. Consult with your child’s practitioner to determine the right activities for them!
Here’s an example of a sensory obstacle course:
Grab a puzzle piece → 10 jumps on a mini trampoline → crash into couch cushions → wheelbarrow walk to the puzzle → put the piece in and repeat until puzzle is complete
Step 3
Include your child while you cook. Children who are involved in the cooking process are more likely to taste the food that they helped to prepare. Instead of letting them watch tv while you do the cooking, give them 1 job to help with such as washing the broccoli, chopping the broccoli with a children's safety knife, lining up the chicken nuggets on the baking sheet, etc. Make sure to include this activity on your schedule.
Step 4
Consider their seating arrangements. A general rule of thumb is the 90/90/90 rule. You want your child’s hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints to each be at 90 degrees with their feet firmly planted on a surface. This ensures proper trunk control which is required for eating. Consider purchasing a children’s sized table or using a stool for your child to rest their feet on at the adult sized table.
Step 5
This step is for you, the caregiver. Remain calm. Picky eating can place a great deal of stress on both you and your child. The difference is, you can regulate your emotions and your child cannot. That is key to remember! Your child will look to you to help regulate their emotions and if you are not calm, they will not be able to calm themselves. When your child is upset, there is a hormone that is released, called cortisol. When cortisol rises, appetite becomes suppressed. Therefore, if your child is tantruming and then saying they aren’t hungry, they really aren’t hungry. By remaining calm during mealtime you can help your child regulate their emotions and their appetite.
Step 6
It’s OK to play with food! Maybe your child isn’t ready to eat the broccoli just yet. That is fine! What if you encourage your child to play with the broccoli on their plate instead? Have them touch the tops and ask them what it feels like. You can play with a piece of broccoli too and pretend it’s a tree. Encourage them to smell it, lick it, or mash it with their fingers. And if they do decide to put it in their mouth and want to spit it out, that’s ok too! By encouraging exploration with food you are increasing their exposure to the new food item and allowing them to have fun in an otherwise stressful situation for them.
I hope this post was helpful for your family!
Download the pdf for a shortened version of HHN’s 6 step guide!
If you found this helpful, but you feel you may need more support, contact me to book a FREE discovery call to see how I can help your family!
