Mealtime Tips – Part 1
Does your child have difficulty sitting down to eat as a family? Does he squirm in her seat? Does he always seem to want to get up and eat somewhere else? This article will include some tips to help your son or daughter sit down to a family meal!
The first step is to determine what your child is doing before sitting down to eat. Maybe she was watching TV or he was playing trucks with her brother. Her son may need a 5-minute warning. Try using a timer so your child really understands what “5 minutes” really means. Also, your child may need some time or space to move around before a meal. This will help provide sensory input that your child may be craving before she is expected to hold her attention. She may want to consider planning a walk, playing “Ring Around the Rosy” or skipping before a meal.
If your child seems to have too much space during mealtime, you may want to find a chair with arms for her to sit in. This will provide you limits. Also, he can try alternative sitting, such as sitting on a large exercise ball or placing an inner tube in the chair. These suggestions will allow your child to move around a bit during the meal, but won’t distract the rest of the family.
The food environment may be too stimulating for your child. She may want to play soft, relaxing music during the meal to calm the children. Additionally, you may need to adjust lighting or close curtains or blinds to allow for a toned-down calming effect. The kitchen table can also be too visually stimulating for your child. Sometimes when something seems really overwhelming it can cause stress. Try to remove unnecessary objects from the table (such as aluminum foil or wrappers). Provide placemats with visual cues on where to place utensils, plates, cups, and napkins. For example, find a piece of fabric that can be easily washed and draw the shapes of each mealtime piece on the fabric.
After discovering the most appropriate mealtime tip for your son and daughter, you’ll soon be enjoying a meal with your family!