We’ve been speaking a lot about cooking with children and benefits delivering from spending time together in the kitchen.
We have answered the question: “Why cooking with children is beneficial”
Inviting children to cook together and involving them at a very young age fosters a habit that will have lifelong benefits. If you don’t know, where to start, please click here.
From this article, you will get an idea of where to start from and what to do with your baby or toddler in the kitchen first!
Involving children in the process of cooking —greatly increases the chance that they’ll actually try the finished dish.
But still, there are many questions asked by parents of babies and toddlers, regarding food. We tried to answer them:
Refusing food
“My child just isn’t interested in food!”
There are multiple reasons why children refuse foods. Sometimes they don’t feel hungry; sometimes they are too tired/overstimulated/not feeling well and will prefer milk. Having scheduled mealtimes also makes a big difference because your child can feel when it’s time to eat based on your daily routine and prepare themselves.
Starting each meal/snack time with 2 solid food options allows the child to choose which food they want to eat and how much. If they have refused food, have patience, stay positive, and keep offering different options. If you are concerned about how much your child is eating, please speak with your pediatrician.
Family Meals
“My child doesn’t want to sit at the table.”
First, you should set the general expectation that “when we eat, we eat at the table”.
If they are hungry, I promise that they will sit with you and eat. When they are done and they want to leave the table, put the food away together. Do not continue to feed them or give snacks while they walk around. This is distracting and it sends the mixed message that food comes to them and they can eat it wherever they like. Remember to have patience and stay positive. You are the parent and you are setting a kind, but firm limit.
I’ve already written extensively about “Making meals happy moments in the family, the celebration of food and how to put stress away with children at the table”.
“My toddler wants me to play with him during meal times.”
Family meals give babies a lot of information and language. They should be able to participate as an equal member of the family by having a place for themselves at the table – to join you in eating or just observing. If they want to go play after they have finished eating, that’s fine, but you also need to finish your mealtime. You can let your little one know that after you have finished and cleaned up you will be happy to play with him, but at the moment it’s mealtime so they are welcome to sit with you at the table or play in their space until you can join them.
Throwing food
“What should I do when my child throws food?”
If you are trying to feed your child and they are throwing food, maybe they are not hungry enough to eat right now or they have finished their food. If they have finished eating, we should set the example that throwing food isn’t appropriate by removing the food and cleaning up together. If they are not hungry, you can try again to sit down and eat in 30 minutes. Make sure to give at least two options with meals so they can decide which food they want to eat.
Using real food + dishes
“Why don’t you use toy food in Montessori?”
In Montessori, we always give real objects so that children can have their own experiences and learn about real life. Toddlers are fascinated by cooking and eating, something that they have observed adults doing for their whole lives and they are even more interested when they have the opportunity to do it themselves. So instead of a wooden banana with Velcro, give them a real banana and a dull knife and they can cut it themselves and prepare their snack!
How great is it that when they feel hungry they can know where to go and what to do to feed themselves? As long as you prepare a space for them in the kitchen where they can do this easily and safely, they won’t have to ask an adult each time they feel a bit peckish.
They can meet their own need until the family mealtime. You can start doing this with simple snacks as soon as your little one is walking-around 16 months. Just empty a low cabinet or shelf and put there a little try or box with one favorite snack in it that they are allowed to take and eat at any time. It helps if they have their little table nearby where they can sit, prepare, and enjoy it as well.
If you would like to know, how to choose healthy food for the family and prepare easy meals for your children, read this post here.
Grandma and grandfather love the grandchildren the most in the world and want to please them, understandably. But how do they manifest it? Giving sweets, junk food, sugary snacks, drinks, cakes, biscuits, bun; buying pastries, sweets…
Read this post if you have the same problem:
“A letter to grandparents for one common goal: healthier kids!”
I hope you found these articles practical and helpful.
Until the next time,
Joanna
xxx
