Moms and Dads are always concerned about how small the amount of food their little toddlers consume, most especially first time parents. The amount of food they eat just never seem to be sufficient, but we must always keep in mind that unlike adults, toddlers have got very small tummy, that’s why they get full very fast.
Do not panic if your toddler eat too little every meal, it’s either he lacks interest on the food, or he is simply full. If you want to make sure that your toddler gets to eat the right amount of food necessary to provide him with the complete nutrients required in his daily recommended dietary allowance, have your little one eat more frequent healthy meals.
Just like feeding him with regular meals, making a toddler eat snacks is not an easy job. But there’s always a workaround, try to make eating a fun and exciting experience by giving him a very tasty yet healthy food, and prepare them in a colorful variety.
Teaching your toddler good table manners is one of the most challenging parts in their early training. At first, it may appear like a futile endeavor when you are not even able to make him sit still at the table. But, many parents have observed that to get your toddler interested, you have to get their full attention first, and the trick comes easy with the type of spoons and forks you provide them with. Toddlers get easily attracted to coloful forks and spoons and eventually they start to focus and follow your lead.
Teaching good table manners at a young age is important and the fashion with which you introduce your kids to appropriate eating habits will entail how long it will take them to learn. So begin with buying the right kind of cutlery.
Buy tablewares that are light-weight and are easy to grip. Try to find colorful forks and spoons with stickers or characters that your kid is interested in, fo example, his favorite cartoon character. And keep safety in mind, forks and spoons can hurt your child too just like other sharp objects, so go for those table wares that have rounded corners. Remind your little one the right way to use the fork, make sure that they keep the pointed part away from his eyes.
To familiarize toddler with the use of spoons and fork, at the start of every meal, provide him with his set of spoon and forks. Demonstrate to your toddler how to hold the spoon and fork properly. Let him join the rest of the family, during mealtime and eat your meal with zest.
Show your little toddler that using the spoon and fork is a ‘grown-up thing’ to do— let him serve and feed himself with his own new set of cutlery. And whenever he tries to use his bare hands to pick food directly, do not get upset so easily, rather be patient and simply hand him his spoon or fork, and tell him to use it for the whole duration of the meal. At first he may end up getting messy, but just be patient and don’t stop teaching and reminding him of the proper ways, until he finally learns to do ti right.
Last but not the least, always remember to show how much you appreciate their efforts to learn. When your toddler sits down still and quiet with a spoon, finishing his meals, don’t forget to praise him for behaving properly and for a job well done.
Tags: Teaching Kids Good Table Manners, toddlers table manners