For the love of food…
Have your kids ever complained about being too full to eat their dinner and five minutes later they proceed to inhale three bear paws like a pack of starving coyotes? Well, mine have and it can be frustrating to say the least.
When I was a child, I was taught to “clean the plate” and so I became accustomed to overeating and it has created some challenges as an adult, which is why I now have this love and hate relationship to food. Mind you, my parents were only instilling the values they had grown up with, so I can understand the purpose of not wasting food, however, this old-aged practice can be detrimental to a child and create habits that can be hard to break as an adult.
My boys are notorious for wanting to eat snacks. I nursed on demand, so I can understand why they eat when they are hungry, which in my house can be every fifteen minutes, however, that isn’t realistic, so years ago I started to incorporate a schedule to build positive eating habits into their daily routine. Such as, having dessert or a treat after your meals, and if my boys are not hungry, I will save their meals for when they are, and they will eat that meal later. In the end, they usually finish their meals, they would just prefer the dessert, or treat first, and who can blame them, who doesn’t love a sweet dessert!
Why not let them play chef? The boys love helping with cooking, especially making homemade gnocchi, or helping on pizza nights. They lick their plates clean, all while patting themselves on the back for a job well done and calling each other “Chef Pennacchio”.
We also have family style dinners, where the boys will serve themselves from a large platter at the centre of the table. This also encourages mindfulness, where they learn to be aware of how much food they are putting on their plate, all while they are in control, which also teaches them independence and good decision making.
Facts: Did you know that a toddler’s stomach is the size of their fist and a 7-year old’s stomach is approximately the size of a grapefruit?
So, if you are having difficulty in having your children finish their meals, you can try my suggestions above, just remember, these are only suggestions. I still experience struggles with the boys from time to time, and they could eat more vegetables, for now I just mince them and then hide them under parmesan cheese, but I will celebrate even the small wins, because in the end, they all lead to a foundation of consistency, positivity and LOVE.
XO,
Sandra