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I have been noticing lately that at least in our household, dinnertime is filled with drama. Diva-J has a tendency to do great with her breakfast and lunch meals, but dinnertime is always a struggle. I think that a lot of this is in regards to the fact that breakfast and lunch are quite structured and she knows what to expect during those meals, while dinner is not going to be the same meal each day. In our home breakfast revolves around a handful (less than 4 choices) and lunch is usually only 2-3 choices.
Imagine the situation…dinner is on the table, prayers have been said and Mom and Dad are eating with eldest child sitting there saying they will not eat. Mom and Dad state the ramifications for not eating (no dessert, no snack before bedtime, etc.) This may or may not work, but instead can escalate the drama…”I want dessert” or “I want a snack”. The child is calmly told what they need to do, but does this assist this child in eating… in our household, not always.
I know that the key for this is consistency, but for children that are persistent, does consistency work? I would hope that the answer is yes, as I know that for parents who have these types of children, that it can be very stressful and concerning when a child is not eating and is distracting from a calm family meal.
I mean who would not want to have a calm family meal - remember Leave it to Beaver …with the Beaver talking to mom and dad about their day. Everyone eating peacefully and talking together…. Ah if this was the traditional reality…
In doing some research and searching this out, I have found that I am not alone. The following blogs have shown similar concerns:
- http://www.beagooddad.com/146/getting-kids-to-eat-dinner/
- http://secretmomthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/07/dinner-time-drame.html
- http://talk.milehighmamas.com/viewtopic.php?f=120&t=123001555&p=231725
- http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2008/02/tricks-to-get-kids-to-eat.html
Some experts state that there are things that we all can do to not only support healthy eating habits but also lessen the drama that may be occurring within your own home.
- http://www.saferchild.org/foodtips.htm
- http://www.healthychild.net/articles/na18picky.html
- http://parentingresources.suite101.com/article.cfm/getting_children_to_eat_right
- http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/toddlers/toddlers2.html
I leave you today with a question - How do you deal with drama at dinner or other meal period. What tricks and suggestions do you have for other parents?
August 10, 2008 |
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Big Bear Real Estate Agent, Real Estate August 10, 2008 9:27 am
As a father of 4 daughters, i consider myself the drama guru. We still have drama at any event that includes more than one child at a time. I just try to not here it.