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22 - 24 months

How to make family meal times fun

10 March 2020 | By Lisa Witepski

Struggling to get your little one to eat? Try these tips to make mealtimes more fun.

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Don’t go overboard

Admit it: how many ideas of creative snacks have you pinned, with the hope that your child will be more likely to dig into their cheese and carrots if they’ve been artfully arranged into a teddy bear’s head? 

This is a lovely notion, says specialist paediatric dietian Claire McHugh, but don’t go overboard. “You need to be practical, and most days don’t allow for this kind of preparation. Rather keep it for special occasions,” she advises. 

By the same token, a little bit of “here comes the plane, coming into the airport,” is fine – but, ultimately, we’re aiming to teach our kids to embrace socially acceptable mealtime etiquette. “Parents need to bear in mind that although mealtimes are supposed to be enjoyable, they’re not designed as playtime.”

The importance of family meals

The best way to achieve this last point, McHugh continues, is by modelling the desired behavior yourself – which is precisely why family meals are so important. 

“The presence of parents automatically make these fun,” McHugh points out. “It’s a great chance to engage, talk about each other’s days and spend quality time together. In fact, family mealtimes are one of the building blocks of a healthy childhood.” 

What’s more, because kids typically mimic their parents, this is a handy way to broaden your child’s palate. As an added bonus, when everyone is chatting together, the focus shifts away from your picky eater’s habits. 

Make it special

If you’re an entertainer, you’ll agree that it’s the opportunity to flaunt your beautiful tableware that makes having friends for dinner so special. Your child feels the same way: mac and cheese is great – but mac and cheese eaten off plates emblazoned with your favourite Paw Patrol character could be a reason to celebrate. 

McHugh recommends investing in cutlery and crockery that gives your child something to look forward to. 

Get them involved

Kids love feeling valued and helpful – and being the sous-chef is definitely important. Allow your child to accompany you grocery shopping, choose which apples they feel would be best, and even assist you with mashing potatoes, and see how mealtimes evolve into special occasions. 

IMAGE CREDIT: shutterstock.com

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