5 TIPS TO A BETTER MEAL TIME.
Dinner time is such a struggle these days, does anyone else feel that way? I think that meal times might just be the thing I dread the most with this little stinker boy. I can’t get him to eat very well, and when he will eat really good it tends to be something not very nutritious. Anyone else? Please tell me I’m not alone! I have found some things that make meal time simpler and less stressful for mom, dad and stinker eaters. (These are things that have worked for us, I’m not a professional, they just seem to work for us.)
…shop our meal time favorites…
1. Always have your little one eat in the same place and not through the house. Don’t let them carry their food around the house, or anything else. We only let King eat in the kitchen and in his high chair. Then he knows that when he is in his high chair he knows that it is time to eat. This may seem simple, but it is a game changer. He now eats his snacks in his high chair (no more carrying around snack containers through the house), treats, everything.
2. They don’t have to be eating constantly. Let them take their time, play, chat, etc. while eating. This is a hard one, but it works. Give them time. We watch Baby Signing Time or The Letter Factory while King eats because then it takes his time to watch something and eat at the same time. If you don’t feel comfortable with them watching a show, that is totally fine, carry a conversation with them, give them something else to do while they eat. They have very little attention spans and need something else to do while they eat.
3. Give them their own plate, cup, and utensils! Have specific ones for them. We absolutely love our Re-Play set! I love that the plates have portions to keep all his food separate. The utensils actually hold on to the food and are easy for King to put the food on, and don’t even start me with their sippy cups. Seriously, they are the only cups we will use. They don’t spill or leak. They are easy enough for King to suck his drink out without having to suck crazy hard. They come apart easily. They wash like a dream. Seriously babes, Re-Play is the way to go, I promise you.
Make sure to watch my Instagram for a giveaway tonight!
4. Give them finger foods, foods they can use with a fork, etc. This lets them use both their fingers and their utensils. Little ones like to have options and honestly, so do I so I don’t blame them. Give them a few of their favorite finger foods, and one or two they haven’t tried before. If they don’t eat the new ones, that’s okay! Give them time and keep putting it on their plate, I promise they will eventually.
5. Don’t let them leave their seat until everyone is done eating. It is hard and a struggle at first, but I promise it will be worth it. Then everyone gets to enjoy their meal, they aren’t chasing a toddler, and everyone is done and helps clean up at the same time. I promise, if you only choose one thing to work on, pick this one first.
Dinner time will never be perfect, and having expectations that it is just makes it worse… Pick one thing to change at a time, your little one won’t do well with everything changing at once. You can do it mama, you are amazing! XX
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