Mealtime: Establishing Routines

By: Geena Schmidt, OTR/L, Mary Dahly, OTR/L & Lindsay Jolley, COTA

The mealtime routine is important for families in order to encourage healthy habits, communication, and to deepen family connections. Children especially benefit from mealtime because of the abundant opportunities to learn life long skills. Some of these lifelong skills include: meal preparation, responsibilities, manners, establishing healthy routines, and relating to other people. Here are some ways to involve your child in mealtime routines!

Involve your child

Have “Taco Tuesday” at home, or let your child pick 1-2 meals they want to eat each week

Make a list of ingredients and take them grocery shopping

Let them help prepare the meal

Have them gather items for mealtime and bring to the table

Have them set and clear the table

Wash dishes or load dishwasher

Prepare your child for mealtime

Give your child a 5 minute warning that meal time will be starting soon to help avoid meltdowns before mealtime. This could include a verbal warning or a visual timer showing how much time is left

Wash hands before eating

State your behavioral expectations for the meal (holding fork correctly, remaining seated, waiting until others are done talking before sharing a topic)

Eat with your child

Sit together at the table as a family

Increase attention by removing distractions, such as cell phones, ipads, television, loud music, and pets

Encourage proper seating; older children should be able to comfortably touch the floor with their feet (placing a small stool under their feet can be helpful)

Encourage communication by serving the meal family style; this increases social skills (making requests, asking questions)

Teach portion control by encouraging them to take only what they are able to eat

Broaden their repertoire of food by encouraging then to take at least one bite of a new food each mealtime

Improve the relationship with your child during mealtimes; ask your child about their day, ask about their recess activity, or find out what they had for lunch

Teach manners by having children ask to be excused from the table before leaving, using please and thank you, and helping with the cleanup

Create Consistency

Make mealtimes a routine; if you can’t eat together everyday, make a point to share a meal at least twice a week

Include everyone

Try to be consistent with your expectations; but be flexible enough to know that not every evening will go according to plan

References:
CDC Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Mealtime Tips and Routines
AOTA Children and Youth Mealtime