Toddler eating in front of TV

[Ginger1982]

DS is almost 2 and definitely at the 'pushing boundaries' stage. We bought him a wee table and chairs after Christmas to have his meals at in the kitchen and, for the most part, he likes it.

Breakfast and lunch are no problem. I'm not saying he sits perfectly and eats everything, he's prone to dancing around and trying to stand on the chair, but generally he will eat there happily.

Tea time seems a different matter. He will not sit to have his meal, runs away and generally misbehaves. If, however, I were to take his plate through to the living room where his nursery rhymes are on, he will mostly clear his plate.

I've done this a couple of times just to ensure he's eaten something but I'm really wary of this becoming habit for him so that he'll only eat in front of the tv.

Does anyone have any tips? If he won't eat in the kitchen should I just let him go hungry? Even if DH and/or I eat with him, it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Thank you!

Well my TV is fairly near the table anyway, so if toddler DS is tired and fidgety at dinner I sometimes put CBeebies on. I do this in the morning sometimes so he's occupied while he eats breakfast too. I just try not to do it at every meal time, but the ones where I'm trying to multitask or where he's overtired it works well (and he's still at the table anyway) but obviously if it's in a different room that's trickier
Toys for the table? Or the radio on maybe?

I would just get a high chair or booster seat you can strap him into. I wouldn't have TV, toys, dancing about or any of that at meal times.

Food is at the table. You sit and eat it or get down and go without. He's unlikely to starve to death.

Agree keep the high chair. DD1 was in hers until past 3, then in a strap in booster seat. DD2 still in high chair at just 2. No tv at meals. It’s always been that way, they don’t know any different.

Thanks everyone. I'll maybe give the high chair a go again or look into a booster seat. Maybe I've tried too much too soon. I'll also stop allowing any dinner in front of the tv.

I think it's a good idea! Start as you mean to go on. It's much easier to instill good habits now than when they're older and set in their ways!

My DD is also almost 2. Started getting so worked up in her highchair - crying and screaming and trying to climb out / work her way out of the strap (it was an ikea one).

Ended up buying a Tripp trapp one, and she climbs up to sit at the table with us, and her food is on the table rather than the highchair tray. She’s much happier with this, however at dinner time seems to have limited patience! Will eat a small amount, then climb down. I’m a bit unsure if I should try and ‘enforce’ staying at the table, but at the moment we just ignore her when she gets down, and refuse requests to play, as we are still eating. She is not allowed to eat anywhere but the table.

We don’t have a TV or anything, so she doesn’t go to watch that, but is just not a huge fan of sitting still!

I was going to say mine were both still strapped in at 2 .

Something we do that works is setting a timer, we use the oven one so DC can see and hear it. We set it for 30 minutes and that's how long they have to sit at the table for. We originally used it because eldest DS used to take about an hour to eat and I couldn't stand it! Now I use it mainly for when youngest DS eats a mouthful and gets bored. They have to wait until the timer is finished or all food is eaten and then they can leave the table.

My DS are 3 and 5 so not sure how well an almost 2YO would take it it.

We don’t allow TV at dinner time. If he keeps getting down from table too early while we are eating it’s discipline or alternatively if he’s tried for some time but hasn’t eaten much then the meal is simply over and no pudding/yoghurt.

If you are happy with tv at mealtimes then fine but if not then starting now will put in place a difficult to shift habit.

There are periods when they are little that you just need to do the easiest thing for whatever reason (better eating, your own sanity etc). As long as you are willing to stop the habit when it’s no longer positive or useful then it’s fine to take the easy road every now and then.

Sometimes going the discipline route, though more correct, you have 20 days of misery rather than 19 days of the easy route then 3 days of misery resetting the boundary you want.

We do meals really different. We eat together as much as possible. We don’t have telly althought my partner and I do look at the news etc in our phones at breakfast. Be we have a long breakfast most days.
What do you want dinner time to look like when he’s 5, 10, 15? You need to start building that in now.

We have a little table in the living room in front of the tv we often use during the week, when they (DCs aged 2 and 4) and we are tired. Weekends we always eat at the table. We've found they are much better at eating a much wider variety of foods in front of the TV - at the dining table with nothing to distract them they are much pickier, so for us eating in a mix of both places is the right thing to do right now. What's important is you are happy with whatever it is you are compromising on / winning on.

My dd has a little table and chairs in the playroom/kitchen bit of the house. There is a tv but she doesn't always take notice of it. She loves the independence of sitting at her own table - hates a high chair.

There are actually scientific studies that have shown that eating in front of the TV causes people to eat more in general. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you. Personally I don’t think it’s healthy to mindlessly munch away with the TV on especially in forming eating habits for later in life.

At that age a high chair up to the table, and lower expectations at tea time....ie shorter, messier teas due to tiredness.

Here, unless there are exceptional circumstances (ds is allowed to eat in front of the ipad) then eating in front of the TV is reserved for treats...pizza nights, picnics on the front room floor etc.

on the one hand - tired toddler - do whatever works and don't stress about it.

on the other hand, as a general rule, eating in front of TV isn't great. General principle is eat together at the table. I don't like little tables as I think kids should be with adults all sitting and eating. If you don't eat at the same time as her, then she is also unlikely to eat in my experience.
So, food at table, everyone sitting at table. Try a booster seat si she is comfortably at the right level, but plate on table with mum.
Food plus chat = dinner time.

But, I repeat point one. Tired, hungry toddler, sometimes you do what works, and don;t lose sleep

Setting boundaries are important... but you are in charge of where to place them. I'd try to be as consistent as possible. If insisting on eating together for every evening meal is import to you then obvs it will be worth persisting with sitting at the table in the kitchen. If you decide it's better for the family as a whole for the time being, to let the toddler eat infant o TV, then crack on.

Personally, I couldn't get worked up about it. At two years old, a tired toddler, if it means the family have a stress free evening meal, I'd go for it. Assuming the toddler does;t watch TV at other times and assuming other meals are eaten in the kitchen.

Going against the grain here - I had very skinny toddlers, one of whom would dangerously escape his highchair. We also don’t eat together in the week. I allowed TV at all mealtimes between 1 and 4 unless it was a ‘family meal’ where we were all sat there. Phased out with literally zero issues/tantrums from 3.5 onwards when we increased the number of times a week we sat down together.

I'd be outing him back in a high chair or booster seat with straps. Table manners and sitting to eat are important to me, i think its essential for children to learn jow to sit still for a meal. although I know not everyone feels the same.

What time are you serving dinner? Maybe bringing the time earlier may help with behaviour. I also agree with strapping into a high chair

I'd say do whatever it takes - it's more important that he eats something and that mealtimes are as relaxed as possible. Eating in front of the TV is neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things. Mine were more likely to be distracted and not eat if there was a TV.

My DDs are older and often we eat at different times, sometimes on our laps, sometimes at the table. Do what's right for you, don't get caught up in other's petit bourgeois values.

DS hated his high chair by 18 months so we got a "junior chair" from Ikea. It's like a taller normal chair that's a bit slimmer. He can sit at the table with us and while he can get down it's a bit hard for him compared to a small chair so he doesn't feel trapped but generally stays at the table. He is probably a little but young for it but he's very mobile and we don't leave him unsupervised.

They have nursery rhymes on Spotify. Maybe play them in the background? Rather than watching them on tv

Eating alone in his sad little corner, banished from the family table, is hardly instilling good mealtime habits, is it?
How do you and DH eat? Alone, strapped to a single table, staring into nothing?
In my house we either sit together, at the same table, in which case there is a social aspect to eating and we model good manners; or, if we cannot sit down to at least consume a snack with DC (because chores and life happens), it’s entirely fair to let him have some entertainment.
And bring him back to the family table, for goodness’ sake. He can use the small table for crafts, when he has pint-sized guests etc.

My ds when approaching 2 was a nightmare getting into highchair would scream and fight it. I got a table and chair but was kept in living room. I aim to have TV off at food times or have music playing but if its a battle I put it on.
He's just over 2 now and still building on communication so I don't mind relaxing the rules a bit as he does understand. Once he is able to understand more then I will tightening up the rules.

My sil was the same. Except used ipad at dinner time to make her dd eat but now she's almost 4 and eats at the table no drama.