Stress-Free Meal Times
A few months ago, and for several years previous to then, meal times were extremely stressful with my two little boys. I have one child who will eat just about anything except common kid’s foods, along with anything his brother does eat, which is a menu consisting of about ten items. The other, literally gags if he is made to try a new food he does not want to eat.
My husband and I had tried many different strategies for getting our children to eat dinner, but nothing seemed to work. We probably looked like some mad scientists as we left the table with nerves shot at having failed again in our attempt to have our children eat what is on the table.
I am sure we are not the only parents who have tried the “so-many-bites”, “no-dessert-until-you-eat”, and “just-try-it” strategies. However, these time-savored meal time traditions have failed yet another generation of eaters and their parents.
I had heard a nutritionist, who has children of her own, explain how, at their home, they put one meal on the table. Food is then passed around the table, and everyone, including children, can serve themselves. If a child decides that they do not wish to eat an item, that is fine. No one is made to try any item they do not wish to. However, once dinner is concluded, including dessert if there is one that evening, there is no more food served the remainder of the evening. (The only exception would be if the entire family is eating a nighttime snack.)
The nutritionist did say she tries to put at least one item on the table that each person will likely eat. That way, no one is left choosing nothing. At her house, applesauce and bread appear regularly.
I was concerned that my children would not learn to taste new foods. However, the nutritionist’s response to my worry was completely accurate, as we have now seen both of our kids choosing to put food on their plates they would have screamed about before. There are, of course, still evenings when one child or the other is not impressed with the food choices. However, my husband and I are now experiencing calm meal times as our children decide for themselves what they will eat. They know the consequences, and we are able to calmly state them, and then enjoy our own food.
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Written by Laura on April 23, 2010
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