Many families today are too busy to find the time to eat together but it is worth remembering that meal times play an important part in a child’s development.

Meal times are social occasions which provide not only nutritious food for healthy bodies. help to encourage positive attitudes to food but also encourage communication skills and good table manners.

Meal times should be enjoyable times for the whole family and a time when they can sit down together and talk about ‘what happened today’.

The following are some tips which may help to have happy mealtimes for everyone:

• Try to involve your children in the choice of food for each day allowing them to choose from a choice of two healthy alternatives. Remember to stick to your suggestions and do not be persuaded to offer anything else or to prepare different foods for everyone in the family.
• Serve small portions and have second helpings available
• If you are not eating with your children sit down them and have a drink while you chat with them
• Praise them for eating nicely and for sitting at the table
• Praise them the minute they start to eat.
• If a child leaves the table and runs off, bring him/her back to the table again and praise once he/she begins to eat again.
• Teach them to ask to leave the table when they are finished
• Encourage them to help with setting the table and clearing away afterwards.

Try to eat together at the week-ends if it is not possible because of work commitments to do so during the week. Make the week-end meal times special by suggesting to the children to pick a theme and the menu and they can then help with the preparation.

Make sure that you turn off the TV.

Frances Byatt-Smith RN RHV BA Psychology

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