Meals with children are often a stressful time for parents.
If you are apprehensive about meals with your child, it may be that you have too many expectations in relation to his age. You then risk bringing him to order without stopping when he is not yet capable of doing so.
How long for the meal?
If toddlers are too energetic to stay at the table for long, it is important to help them sit down to avoid any movement that can cause choking.
If there is no strict duration to respect, you can for example ask your child of 2 or 3 years to remain seated 10 to 15 minutes, and a little longer around the age of 5 years.
On the other hand, avoid giving him a bite and letting him go back to playing. By getting into the habit of having the whole meal at the table, and possibly dessert later, you teach him to wait and he will digest better.
What behavior should you expect from your child?
If your child is restless, he is impatient or needs attention. If so, try to talk with him about his day without distracting him with a toy or a screen. It’s only around the age of 5 that your child can begin to understand good manners, so avoid constantly nagging, threatening or arguing with them so as not to reinforce this moment with stress.
Learning to eat with utensils depends on learning fine motor skills, so it’s normal for toddlers to use their fingers for food. In general a child can start to eat alone with a spoon after 1 year, but he can alternate with his fingers especially until the age of 3 years.
Find out more: “The Meal” by Paule Battault and Charlotte Ameling.
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