Calm Mealtimes: A Montessori Approach
Calm mealtimes start before you sit down. A hungry, overstimulated child at a table is a setup. A child who helped set the table and isn't starving has a chance.
Let them help. A two-year-old can carry napkins. A three-year-old can pour water. A four-year-old can set the plates. Many parents find that a child who helped make the meal or set the table sits longer and eats more.
Serve small portions. A huge plate is overwhelming. A little they can finish is empowering, and they can always ask for more.
Don't fight over food. Your job is what's served and when. Their job is how much and whether. That division, repeated calmly, ends most food battles within a few weeks.
Keep the mood steady. If dinner is where the day's complaints come out, it won't be calm. Save hard conversations for after the kids are in bed.
Eat together when you can. A child who watches you eat vegetables and enjoy them is doing more learning than one who's lectured about them.
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