Getting Your Child to Finish Meals

In many households, family mealtimes can be very stressful when one or more children refuse to finish their plates. But it doesn't need to be. You can turn mealtimes into an enjoyable family event.

First of all, it's not a good idea to tell your child that he or she should eat because children in other countries are starving. Children, especially young ones, can not relate to this concept. In their world, none of the children that they know are starving. They may wonder where are these starving children and where are these other countries? Unless you can actually take them to see these starving children in other countries for themselves, it is really not worth mentioning.

It is also not a good idea to force your child to eat. Don't get mad at or punish the child for not eating. These things will only make the meal more stressful for everyone at the table. No one likes to be forced into doing something that they do not want to do. This negative enforcement will lead to resent by the child and possibly eating disorders in later years.

So what can you do to get your child to eat? Here are some ideas that will help.

Sit down with your child and explain to them the concept that food and drink are necessary to survive. Explain to them that our bodies use food as fuel for maintenance and growth. Children may not necessarily realize that they cannot live without eating.

Take you child to the grocery store with you. In this way you let them become a part of the decision making process in the selection of food. Ask them what foods look good to them and what they think might taste good. Be very interested in their opinions. In many grocery stores you may be able to let your child sample some items, such as deli and produce items, or even some store-prepared dishes. This is a great way of finding out what foods they like. Make this a weekly family tradition with you and your child.

Have your child help with the preparation of the meal. Your child will be more inclined to eat a meal that he or she has been a part of. Your child will have a sense of accomplishment and may proudly announce to rest of the family, "I helped!"

During the food preparation, you and your child together can make the presentation of the food more fun. The appearance of the food on the plate can make a big difference. Grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwiches can be cut into triangles and made to look like butterflies with the addition of celery or carrot sticks as antennas. Open faced hamburger sandwiches can be made into happy faces with the use of vegtables or other food items for the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. Let your child be creative with this, even if the food combinations that your child picks are unconventional. For example, If he or she wants to use M and M's candies for the eyes, you should let them. If is looks appetizing to the child, that's all that counts.

Try these positive techniques and you may see that they work much better that the negative use of force and punishment. Remember that old saying " You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" ?