Eating with your toddler

Teaching good eating habits

Children tend to copy the habits of their parents. If you want your toddler to eat well, you’ll have to eat well yourself. If children see you eating a chocolate before dinner or not eating any vegetables, they’ll want to do the same. If you walk around while you eat your breakfast, your children will think that’s the best way to eat breakfast (and other meals as well).

Teaching table manners

Eating together as a family whenever you can will also help your toddler pick up a few table manners.

Right from the start it’s worth insisting that toddlers sit whenever they are eating or drinking, even if they’re just having a snack. It’s easier to start with good habits than try to change bad habits later on. Most toddlers find it too difficult to sit at the dinner table for an entire three-course meal, so let them leave the table when they’ve had enough. Take your child’s plate away to signal that leaving the table is the end of the meal.

Getting children interested in food

You can help stimulate an interest in food by letting toddlers help with the cooking. If they’ve been involved in preparing a meal, it will become a source of pride and they’re more likely to eat it. By helping, children also learn a lot about food and develop a true appreciation for it.

Meals that are constructed at the table, such as sandwiches or tacos, can be a great way of involving your toddler in food preparation.

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