Should I Have My Child Stay at the Table after Eating?

If your child sits at the table and eats for a few minutes each time, he (and you) are doing fantastically well. Keep going that way because if you change things, it will probably get worse.

Your child in cute baby clothes is seated for a moment and eats a little because he is hungry and likes food and, most important, because he does not see the table as a battlefield with you. So encourage your enthusiasm for food and your independence to eat as much as you can.

Let him choose some of the things he wants to eat ("Do you want pear or banana?") And when possible offer him food so that he can eat them only, even if it means that he eats some spaghetti with his hands.

Do not push him to eat more than he wants (although it is not enough to draw your attention to what he has on his plate when he distracts) and do not "help" unless you ask.

And, please do not make him sit at the table when he's finished. One day you will understand that it is a good education and will keep sitting until the others are finished, but if you try to force that kind of discipline now, you can end the harmony at lunch time.

Look at our tips for healthy eating for your child. And if your child has hobbies to eat, for example he only wants to eat foods of a color from baby cartoons, he does not like certain textures, he does not want fruit ... we also have a special section for you.