How to Eat with Your Kids?

I make it all before I sit down (including cutting her portions small). I Have a dish towel handy for spills/messes (just wipe it up you can clean it later). Most of the time I will add an extra spoonful on my plate of stuff so if she runs out of food I just take it from my plate onto hers (eliminates running back into the kitchen).
To help prepare dinner, she gets to watch a cartoon..that give sme enough time to get it all ready.
Hope this helps.

cut up food before you sit, have everything you need at the table & save the cleaning for after. I eat with my 14 month old & she makes a huge mess. But I still eat. I wish I had a dog to clean up under the high chair!!! its a smorgasboard under there after she eats.

Before I sit down I normally say "Does everyone have what they need? Because I'm going to sit down and I'm not getting up until I've eaten some of my dinner!"

Also, at my son's daycare they learn to wait to eat. So we now say 1,2, 3 Happy Dinner! Which means they can start eating. Having them not get a head start makes meal time much more pleasant.

Good luck.

T.

As a former caterer and MOM I have GOOD NEWS for you!

No one can eat until YOU put the food on the table. DO NOT feed your family until YOU are ready to sit down with them!

Stop all the excuses, stop your snacking and sit down to the table as a FAMILY.

Blessings...

Feed yourself first :)
Or at least, make their plates first, then yours, and sit down. If they want or need anything, or spill something, just say "ok, mommy will take care of when she's done with her food."
Let them see you taking care of yourself, they will respect you more for it in the end!

they both sound like they still need sippy cups. won't have to clean up spilled milk if there's a lid on it. i make my son's plate first and cut everything up before i take it to the table. what are you needing to get up and grab? try to plan ahead as much as possible.

nobody eats until Momma sits down....that was always my rule. & it applied to my husband, too!

Lesley, you cracked me up and I am hoping your head feels better.

Lots of good suggestions. My only additions would be to get your three year old to help you as much as possible. Keep those old rags nearby in a basket; when she spills, she can clean it up. And put a timer on for five mintues; don't get up until you've eaten for five minutes. Give your littlest a few cheerios to chase around the tray in between bites; it'll practice her pincer grip and allow you to get a few bites in yourself.

And don't feel badly about asking them to wait for a few minutes for something. If they always see that mom puts herself last and doesn't eat, that's sort of what they will expect in the future. They can learn to expect that you won't jump right up for everything. Tough season, with the little one so young, but this too shall pass.

I would have each plate prepared..... all items cut up. If your youngest still needs (or prefers) you to feed her, alternate bites.... she gets a bite, you get a bite.

If you want to put the extra food on the table also, that is fine.

Sippy cups at mealtime would be a good idea, also. That helps prevent some of the spills. Otherwise, just keep a towel handy for a quick clean-up.

I'm tired and have a migraine and I read the title of this post as

"How to eat your kids"

And thought, "with a fork and a knife"

============
Anyhoo, T., can you cut everything up before serving it to the kids, put extra paper towels on the table, and double check for everything on the table before you sit down. After that, tell your oldest that Mommy gets X number of bites of food before she has to get up for anything.

Or, feed the kids a little earlier, get them settled into an after dinner activity then sit down and eat your meal? I know, kinda' throws the family meal idea out the window, but, maybe there are activities they could do at the table while you eat.

It gets better when they get older - I now make my 14 year old son get up and get things for me during dinner - sometimes just because. LOL

I think I will go take another pain pill now.

God Bless

I guess i would say, meal time is over when mama is done, If you bring a wet washrag to the table with you, you could clean them off get them down and then finish. Are you a slow eater or something? I must be a huge pig because i can manage to eat a burger in under 3 mins and my kids are usually still arguing about not likign what ever they are having and have hardly started before i am done. I have to force myself to stay at the table because i think it is important to model that and to connect withthem. my hubby is neverhome for meals either.

I agree with the other mamas. Prepare it all before y'all even sit down. I fix everybodys plates, get the napkins, make sure everyone has a drink, ect. Then alternate bites. Give your girls a bite then take yours. Just keep a round robin going and hopefully you will get to eat with them!

Have their plates fixed and things cut up if necessary before it ever reaches the table. What are you running to the kitchen for? If you tend to forget napkins or something like that, put those on the table first. Just have things ready to go when you sit down. The three year old can help with certain things.
Prepare their plates, with things cut up, let them drink from things that won't spill. Make it as simple on yourself as possible. Even if your husband isn't there, you can still have successful mealtimes. It just takes a little prep ahead of time.
Everyone should sit down and eat their meals. That's what meal time is for.

Best wishes.

Just call/bring them to the table when everything is there waiting.

i never serve my kids first, what I mean is I don't serve them before I am ready to sit down & eat, if I did that then I would never eat! I prepare the meal, set the table, or fix everyone's plate, then cut the kids up & then everyone gets their plate at the same time...otherwise sometimes we feed the kids dinner & then hubby & I eat after they are in bed. but I feel your pain, I used to serve the kids & I would never have the time to sit down & eat because I would be getting them more, cleaning up spills etc. so now everyone gets served at the same time : ) hope that helps, but it does get easier at meal time as they get older...

Fix all the plates and cut things up before everyone sits down to eat. Keep a towel and washcloth at the table for possible spills and put all the items on the table that you may need more of during the meal (milk, juice, extra food, etc). Then sit down together and eat together. Have your 3 year old help with setting the table and cleaning up to keep them busy. If the 11mo old wants to be with you, put them in their highchair where they can see you and give them some O's or something to hold them over until dinner.

I always eat my portion before I call the kids to our bar set up. That way I am ready to cater. My hubby is usually walking in as I seat them. So, he knows that whatever is left is his! I wont share plates with the kiddos. I am a germ freak. It is the one part of my brain, i am not sorry for giving to an OCD:)

Make sure mama bear eats before the cubs! you need energy to keep up with the girls!

I used to when my children were little too. What helped me was buying pre-made salads at Trader Joe's and eating those while my kids ate their own meals. At least I'd try to eat my salad at the same time they were eating but, hey, at least we were all sitting down together with food!

I don't know if you have a Trader Joe's in your area but they do have a great selection of salads, all very yummy, and reasonably priced. If you don't want to buy a pre-made salad then perhaps you can make up your own salads or entree the night before. A great idea is buying a bento box from Laptop Lunches and using that as your very own adult version of a lunch box. Here's the website:

www.laptoplunches.com

Hope this helps.

sounds like you need to organize your time better,like make all plates before sitting down-yours included-bring what you need to the table-and if you need to snack make it fruits an veggies-and please dont feed your dog the left overs-its really not good for him.

I never had that problem but then if there was cutting or prep work for the little ones I did it before anyone sat down.

Sounds like you've gotten a lot of great advice. My plug is for the dog. (-: The leftovers aren't good for the dog either so my advice is to put the kids' leftovers in the disposal or garbage. Good luck with all of the other suggestions and your family meals.

Put everything on the table-family style-that should help-later on-it will encourage them to remain seated during dinner-a rule that must be followed.

We were raised by a single father, starting when the oldest of us was 6 years and the youngest 6 months. (there were 4 of us.) He always got our food ready (cut up and everything), set the table with anything we might need, sat us down and got us eating, then fixed and ate his meal. If something got spilled, he would take a second to get it cleaned up enough that it wasn't spreading out, but he wouldn't 'clean' the area. If something wasn't on the table, we didn't need it and couldn't have it until dinner was finished. If we wanted seconds, he would give us a scoop of veggies (which didn't need further processing than they came) and we could eat that until he was at least 1/2 done with his meal, then he would go get us more 'real' food if we were still hungry. lol.

I was and am alone with my 2 for many meals and like the other moms said, I always make all 3 of our plates and drinks, have the kids wash their hands and sit down and then I bring everything to the table and we start eating. Sure there are times when dinner is a bit hectic if there is a spill or something but most nights it's a nice time around the table. I've been doing this for as long as I can remember and mine are 6 and almost 3 now.

I didn't read all the responses ... but wanted to add a tip that someone gave me.

I always steam their veggies first (for lunch and dinner) and serve them first so 1) if they're really hungry the veggies are what is satiating them and 2) if i need a bit more time to get the main meal organized I can finish up while they're eating their veggies.

I then bring all three plates w/ the 'rest' of the meal on it to the table.

Um--make enough of what they eat (I'm assuming the 11 month old eats what he 3 year old eats) and fix yourself a plate. If you can eat then, great if not eat it after they go to bed or while they play after dinner. I know the feeling of have to monitor 4 children (1 mine and 3 daycare children) during a hot lunch. Sometimes I can eat with them--most times not. So during the short play time after lunch, I fix a plate and sit with them and eat--same things they eat. If you don't want to eat what they eat, you should make a meal that your family would eat and they need to try it. My child and daycare children are very used to this. Usually the dinner I make the night before is kept for them the next day for lunch. My daughter and I end up having it for dinner and for lunch the next day. Sometimes the same darn thing she refused the night before , she'll eat the next day. Plus I follow the food program so lunch is always a grain, protein, veggie and a fruit so I get a more balanced diet too!

I make sure everything I need is at the table, before we sit down. As for spilled milk (or whatever else spills) the dogs licks it up, and clean the floor AFTER we eat. (If you have carpet, I understand why you clean it up right then.) My son is 2 years old, and he simply doesn't get to leave the table until EVERYONE is done eating. I take a book, stickers, a game, something to keep his attention while I finish. I think it's a good rule to start with...they don't leave until you're done eating. I know this can be tricky with an 11 months old, but that's when I really started working with my son. He was happy to sit, if he has something to keep him occupied.

You all sound so organized! I never did figure this out. I will eat (did especially back then) what my kid leaves. Then I wasn't hungry any more and didn't bother with my own meal. This is what helped me lose the last few baby pounds!!

Like alot of others said, make their plates first, so if there is anything Hot,it can cool off while you are dishing up your own, last, and you get to eat yours warm, theirs is cool like they probably like it - my kids do.BUT don't go give them theirs before you make yours, put all the plates on the table at once, and then call the kids to the table. All sit down and eat at the same time - you have to make taking care of yourself a priority.I eat what they eat, they eat what I eat, I make healthy foods, and if I am having a salad, ( they don't care for salad yet at 4 and 2) they usually get some steamed frozen veggies or raw cut up veggies, so I am not making separate meals, I don't even want to start into that path....from the start of solids they ate some variation of whatever I was making for the family - usually just ran part of our meal through the blender or thinned it with milk/water/applesauce.

Now, I cut all theirs up ahead of time - fast way to cut up veggies is one of those food choppers you push the top down on - pampered chef and Bed Beth and beyond have them - fast ways to cut sandwiches and pancakes are using a pizza cutter, or cookie cutters - fast cutting for meats and cooked veggies are Kitchen shears - Make sure you have an apple corer/slicer (the push down kind), too, for bananas and strawberries, they have special slicers, too,so you only have to make one pass, not multiple knife cuts, way easier than using your traditional knife and fork....these tools save me lots of time and they can all just go in the dishwasher.

As we sit and eat, if they finish before me, or want more of something, I tell them, as soon as mommy is done eating, I will get you more. OR I put a bowl/bag/box of something on the table that thye can snack on - when they were little - it was cheerios or gerber puffs, now it is grapes,baby carrot sticks, goldfish. Then when I am done I go get them seconds if they still need it, more drinks wait till mommy is done too - it teaches them patience and table manners.

I didn't see the addition to your question about leaving the milk and yogurt in the fridge till you need it to help with this, get them the insulated sippies or straw cups for their milk, and just put it out when the rest of the food goes out - for yogurt put their individual portion in a little bowl/cup on their plate leave the big container in the fridge, it won't get HOT or go bad in the time it takes to eat a meal. As for portions, give them a little and maybe put some extra on your plate, or prepare extra ( pre-cut it) and put it in a small serving bowl on the table, so you can give more if they want it, but it doesn't get slobbered all over, but not eaten and left for the garbage or dog . Also, if you have extra cut up, it can be put back in the fridge for the next meal or then next day. No foods are going to go bad in the time it takes to eat a meal, even with kids eating slowly at the table. I put all the food groups on the plate and let them eat in whatever order they want, the rule is that you have to eat all the different foods on the plate before you get more of any one type. They throw a fit about it at first around one and a half to 2 years old, but now my 4 year old self-regulates and usualy takes turns eating one bite of each type of food in rotation. They have to learn, and they have so little control in thier little lives, the order they eat their foods in is one little thing they can choose themselves.

Jessie

Mom, you want the best for your children and in order to give them that YOU have to eat and take care of yourself.

How I handled it was fix everyone's plates and call them to the table. If they wanted something else from me before I ate, I simply said, I am eating, I will get it as soon as I am done. No drama, just the fact that I needed to eat also. They accepted it without a fuss because it was how I did things. Now, when your little one's are used to you jumping up, they will have a bit of an adjustment, but they will adapt. In fact once you have this new routine down they will be happier.

I don't eat with the kids. I eat the same meal, but either before or after. Instead I read to the kids as that seems to get them to slow down and actually chew the food!

I really like to eat together when we are together. So, AFTER the food is all prepped and ready to be plated, we serve the food most often family style from the kitchen or range and we sit down together. And I don't get up while I'm eating. I ask the kids to wait if they want more. But fruits and veggies and salads are served at the table, so those seconds are easy

I have the same problem. I normally dont try to eat with them. I sit down with them while they eat, and may eat a little bit - bread, salad, etc, but there is not time for me to have a real meal. When my husband is home, we do better.

My kids can be done eating in under 10 minutes, and sometimes under 5, so even if I cut everything up/have all food ready at the same time, it still doesnt work the way I hope.

My kids get to watch one show before bed. I normally eat when they are watching their show, or after they go to bed.

Not the kind of dinner arrangements I want, but the best I can do with two kids under three, a full time job, and a husband who works nights.

My children are now 4 and 17 months. What we've always done is this: I fix their plates first because they don't mind their food being less warm than ours. Cut everything the way they need it done. Pour their one cup of drink, set the table with everything you need. Everyone sit down and eat. If it's a meal where my youngest needs help with a fork, he sits in the highchair beside me at his "place" at the table but I just scoot him a little closer. He gets a bite with his fork, I get a bite with my fork. Pour the cup only half full for your oldest so she can manage it (and does she have a booster seat, because that helps a lot). She can have 1 refill of milk or whatever during dinner (since you're giving her a half portion so she doesn't spill), but try to teach her to take sips between eating instead of drinking it all at once OR have a pitcher of water or whatever with a cup at the table so that if she's had her two 1/2 cups of milk, she can then have some water, but it's at the table so you're not missing out on your meal too. That's what I suggest; it's how we do dinners. It's pretty laid back and matter-of-fact, but we all get to enjoy it.

I am on my own for breakfast and lunch, usually. Breakfast is simple...make yours and their breakfasts, and then sit down to eat. Mine are 1 (just turned) and 6...I'll have them sit at the table and play while I make the breakfast, then I sit down and eat with them. It's never more than a bowl of cereal for me, but I make a variety of food for them.

Lunch, same thing...I have them sit at the table and play while I put everyone's lunch together. It doesn't take more than five minutes to make all the lunches...but I guess I've gotten quick at it, because I've noticed that when my husband makes the same lunches, it takes him 20 minutes.

I don't see the problem with eating the fruit first...why not? Just don't put a huge portion out. I serve fruit with lunch and dinner, and right on the plate (or in a bowl, whatever)...and even if they eat it first, they usually eat the rest of the food. I've always done this, and my six year old always saves the fruit for last. It'll come with time.

I make something for myself to eat WHILE cooking/prepping their meal. It could be something simple and finger food type items that are pulled from the fridge/freezer etc ... My son and I hardly eat at the same time, I typically eat/drink (slimfast or smoothie) while prepping for him. I also try to put things away as close to ready to eat for him when I put food away from grocery shopping so there is less prep and maybe more eating time for me.