Are mealtimes a battlefield?

[cartrefle]

I get so stressed over mealtimes. Oldest is fine but 3 girls under 4 I find foodtime hateful at the mo. I get so wound up by non cooperation and vvvv slow eating from eldest & 2yr old twins so messy and volotile! Eat brilliantly one day and the next plates are on the floor, food in the hair etc. It's driving be crazy~! Tell me I'm not alone & please offer any solutions you've found that get you through a meal time please. Don't say sticker charts. NOT working!!

We have found that the easiest way for us to have a peaceful meal is to put the food in serving dishes in the middle of the table, and let them choose what they want.

We don't usually have too many problems over the food itself. The worst mealtimes is when one child is winding up the other in some way. With five kids, this happens maybe twice a week. But it's nothing another glass of wine can't solve!

I try and have a treat lined up for afterwards. So if it's breakfast, they can watch Cbeebies before school if they have enough time - they have to be fully ready (shoes on, breakfast eaten, hair brushed, ready to go out the door.) When they start p*ing about, I remind them that they won't have time to watch Cbeebies, and I do a countdown - postman pat will start in 10 minutes, if you haven't finished breakfast, you won't have time to watch it.

Similarly with dinner - the bedtime hour is about to start, you still need a bath, you could catch 64 Zoo Lane if you're quick. My DS has now caught on that the less time he spends on eating and clearing away his toys, the more time he has to watch TV. The downside is, he sometimes takes one spoon of dinner and says "I'm finished, can I watch Cbeebies now!" (No!)