TODDLER WON'T SIT & EAT | 4 tips to get your child sitting at the table | PICKY EATER | MEALTIMES

If you're like many of the parents who have contacted me lately, getting your child to actually SIT at the table is a struggle! You want your kiddo to sit, but for various reasons it's not happening.

Sitting at the table helps prevent choking and distracted eating. In this video I'll share a 4 tip parenting guide to help you get started!

Feeding babies and toddlers is HARD! Parenting at the table is hard, especially if you grew up being bribed to eat or with other mealtime pressures. My new course ✨FUSS-FREE FIRST FOODS (link below) helps you break that cycle so you can confidently and respectfully raise a healthy, happy eater with a strong parent-child bond.

This course is incredibly comprehensive so you're empowered to parent at mealtimes, from food throwing, schedules, baby led weaning, purees, tantrums, high chairs, baby recipes, brushing teeth, picky eating, milk, transitioning off milk, snacks, pouches/puffs, and meltdowns. This course has it all!

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Does your child request seconds or declare they don't want to eat something? It can be difficult responding to them in a way that helps the situation. I've got a brand new free resource for you: 3 Respectful Phrases to Beat Mealtime Meltdowns with Confidence.

Need help with healthy snacks and getting into the "mini meals mindset"? I've got you covered, grab my free snack staples list here:

Lastly, do you worry about your child becoming obsessed with 'junk' food or sweets? It's really easy to 'teach' our children that some foods are 'bad' for them, or simply restrict them and say they can't have foods like pizza, cake, candy, fries, etc. Unfortunately, that won't foster a healthy relationship with food. That's why I created the "Stress-Free Sweets & Eats" course to help you navigate unhealthy foods in a healthy way and foster your child's lifelong healthy relationship food:

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[normatobin]

I always taught my kids to STAY seated during a meal from age 1. Most especially In a restaurant. No negotiating! It's meal time. If ya don't wanna sit for 15 or 20 minutes n eat. .that's it...ya don't get dessert..n ya don't EAT again for the evening! Both of my kids were very well behaved at the table by age 1!
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[Moomae]

My daughter has a disability and this makes it easier to transition her into good eating habits. Thank you for sharing !!

[Jerome]

The only solution I have found is to reserve the child’s media time for dinner and lunch. They can watch their shows as they sit and eat. If they stop eating I pause the video and remind them to have some more, also works well for vegetables. Usually 30-40 mins is enough time.

[ashleyjerrett]

This was a fabulous video!! Thank you! I cant wait for tomorrow to start implementing some changes!

[pearllal]

Hello! Thank you for those tips! Should we stress on eating at the table even for snacks?

[chelseyj]

Hi! Thanks for the video, very helpful! I have a question, when my 2 year old is done and wants to wash up but we aren't done, do we wash her up and then continue to eat while she finds something else to do around the house? I find when we go back to finishing our meals she then wants to come sit on my lap while I'm still eating. She hardly ever finishes her plate, so when she climbs up on my lap she will sometimes want me to feed her bites from her unfinished plate. This is frustrating because I want to enjoy my dinner.

[pastorbritbolerjack]

At what age do most kids stop being strapped down in a booster seat or whatever? I can’t seem to get my 3yo to stay seated for more than a minute with out a buckle

[michellemarcoux]

My issue is that our highchair is terrible, but we can't get a new one yet, and s booster chair didn't seem safe with the chairs we have (they're very unstable). She stands in her highchair to eat or is on her knees, although she'll stay at the table for quite a while

[kumudikanayani]

hi. My baby is 11 moths old. He refuse to sit on the chair and eat. So my maid carry him and walk and fed him. I really want to change that

[menglinliu]

could you recommend the toddler seat that's comfortable? We use Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat on a regular chair. our toddler's legs do rest on the regular chair, but his legs and his hip is not 90 degree, it's less than 90 degree. Thanks!

[meganboyd]

Hi I am Megan I am 10 years old and I love food I was a very fussy eater then now I have just wanted a lovely dinner and then a just lose my appetite can you please help if you can and my mum is getting worried and so am I

[lindatsai]

Do you have recommendations on chairs or chair/table set for little kids (small 2 yr old) and older kids (6 yr old)? They like to eat at the kids table but it's not appropriate position for both of them due to difference in their body sizes

[reverethepatriot]

Yeah my almost 2 year old will sit and eat for a few minutes and then push her plate away and tell me she is all done, I double check with her and she insists and refuses another bite. I clean her up and set her down and she will either then eat the rest on the go or ask for a snack a short period of time later.

[oewkxhj]

We have 3, a 5 year old that doesn’t like to stop playing to eat and twin 2.5 yr girls that have started to copy. We moved far, have lots of Chang in general with that and have been settling in our new home for 4 months now.

We don’t have high chairs and getting the girls to sit to eat dinner had been unsuccessful. The boy can sit longer but once the girls are going bonkers he can’t keep focus.

It has been a struggle with our boy since the start of the pandemic when he was just under 3, and girls were newborns. He was improving until the high chairs were removed and girls are expected to be on normal chairs.

I was considering boosters for the girls but not sure they will put up with being strapped in anymore.

Any tips would help. Dinner is the most stressful part of our day as a family, thank you

[ionelageorgianamelcioiu]

Hi my son is 1y and 10 months and I struggle with him to eat at the childminder, at home everything is fine but there doesn't want nothing and he doesn't want to sitting on the chair. What I can do? How to manage this situation ? Thank you

[michellestewart]

Wonderful video! I think the table is a big issue for us. We have a counter height table do it doesn't fit the high chair or even my 5yo on the chair either. (Even with boosters). Do you have any recommendations for higher tables?

[ms_johnson]

Hi! I just transitioned my 21 month old to a toddler table and chair for meals/snacks. I came searching for help, as I’m having difficulty keeping him seated during meal times. So far, I’ve been sitting with him at the toddler table and chair to encourage him to stay seated. I’m thinking that this will temporary as he adjusts, but it’s been almost a week and he’s still wandering, or wants to sit on my lap. Should I keep doing this (sitting with him at the toddler table) or maybe get a booster seat so he can sit at the dining table with adults?

[jamiew]

My son (6) will get up and wander and then say he isn’t finished if I try to clear up his plate. It is very difficult to keep him at the table. I’m interested to try a foot rest, but what would you recommend if they insist on getting up and wandering and returning to their food?

[weallhumanplsrespecteachot]

my child will turn 3years old next month but he still dont set to eat, he is very picky he wont eat at all by using s spone so i used my hands to feed him, what should i do so he eat with a spone ?

[tashaisabelle]

You said to let them down when they say they’re done and not make them stay longer, which I get. But what if they’ve been sitting for a very short amount of time and not eaten very much? Then asks for more food later? My son is 2.5yo and does this sometimes because he wants to go off and play or do whatever he was doing before dinner. If he hasn’t been at the table long I often tell him dinner isn’t over yet, we’re going to sit for a few more minutes. Is that an ok thing to do?