New Meal Time Rule

For a while now Bruce and I have had trouble with Charlotte's eating habits, particularly at dinner. She dawdles and takes her time. We don't like to leave her at the table to eat alone, so it has sometimes meant that every one's meal is drawn out too long.

So today, I decided to try something new. I set the timer for 20 minutes and then explained that whatever wasn't done at the end of the time, could be saved for later.

I think by making it clear that meal time has its limits, she'll be encouraged to do more eating and less talking.

What do you think? Do your children dawdle at the table?  What did you do to solve the problem?

Comments

  1. AnonymousFri Aug 27, 12:35:00 PM EDT

    I like the timer idea. Everything in life has its limits. That is a great non-discipline approach to meal time. - Missy Eby

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Rantings of a Drama Queen's MumSat Aug 28, 09:40:00 PM EDT

    My daughter is 3 & does the same thing. She also gets up & walks around & lately tells me that she's not hungry. Maybe I'll try the timer too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. allthingsnewSun Aug 29, 12:19:00 AM EDT

    I think the timer idea is a good idea :) I also liked your idea to have This for That be a blog hop once a week...any suggestions on which day would be best for those who want to post?

    Thanks for the ideas :)

    Steph

    ReplyDelete
  4. BabsnessSun Aug 29, 08:04:00 AM EDT

    Hrm
    It's definitely a sound approach since she knows she has the option for it later. But these days I often wonder where dinner time went when it is over in just 15 or 20 minutes. How long was she taking and what was she doing while she was dawdling.
    So many people these days don't even realize they've eaten because the goal was to get it done, not to enjoy it while it was happening...gee, kind of a lot like life in general :)
    I'm not dissing the idea, thinking of motivators (charlotte's) and repercussions.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for commenting! Be sure to leave an email address in your profile or in your comment if you'd like a reply.

Popular posts from this blog

Giveaway: Bake Me A Wish

Image
This giveaway is closed. When I came home from running errands recently, I saw a big box sitting on my doorstep. As I got closer, the anticipation built and then I realized it was a Vanilla Bean Cake from Bake Me A Wish! Woo hoo! This was a review I knew my husband would enjoy participating in. The Vanilla Bean cake from Bake Me a Wish! came packed in a cooler and ice pack because it is perishable. It took self control, but I put it in the fridge straight away and waited patiently for my husband to come home so we could celebrate life. When we finally got to sample the cake, I put some candles on it so Charlotte could practice blowing them out. We are slowly getting ready for the big day of her birthday party and have never put candles on a cake for her before. As I was enjoying my slice of the Vanilla Bean Cake, Bruce and I brainstormed when this type of cake service might be useful. And here is the list we came up with: When you want a gourmet cake, but don't have acces
Read more

Win Free Cereal

Image
This giveaway is closed. Winners will be announced later this weekend. I've definitely been on the giveaway wagon recently and am glad to be participating in the Fall Bloggy Giveaways Carnival. For this giveaway, I have FOUR (yes, you read that right - 4 winners!) full-price coupons for a new cereal from General Mills. Per their marketing, this cereal " combines great-tasting chocolatey puffs with vanilla puffs, a classic combination that kids love. Even better, Cocoa Puffs Combos is made with whole grain and is a good source of Calcium and Vitamin D." I love cereal. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as a snack in between all of those. I am particularly fond of Lucky Charms. The crunchy combined with the sweet marshmallows gets me every time. All you have to do to enter is tell me what your favorite cereal is and leave some way for me to contact you, either through a blog or e-mail. This giveaway is open to US residents only (because I don't think t
Read more

Note to Self

Image
This giveaway is closed. Winners will be announced later this weekend. Warning: Since I typically have a family-friendly blog, I want to let my readers know that this post is not safe for little eyes. Have you ever sat down with a new friend and found you stayed up way too late talking about every subject under the sun? Discussing religion, careers, and yes, even sex, even though you've only known each other for a very short period of time? That is what it was like for me to read Note to Self - On Keeping a Journal and Other Dangerous Pursuits , by Samara O'Shea. Once I started it, I felt like Samara and I were just hanging out on my couch, sipping decaf lattes and having a conversation. (Okay, Samara might be sipping something harder, but I'm still nursing.) It was that easy to read. The basic premise of her newest book is teaching people how to write in a journal, by sharing her own journal entries. Personally, she wrote for therapy, sharing "A journal is an effecti
Read more