Do you eat with your toddler(s) at mealtimes?

[Rvah99877]

Since I weaned my eldest who is now 2..I always wanted to have family dinners at the table (at least for the evening meal). This worked fine up until the last 4 months or so as she’s getting more independent, testing boundaries as a 2 year old etc and generally now she hates sitting at the dinner table and will refuse to eat.

We’ve now got a newborn and it got to the point I was dreading dinner as it was just lots of drama and stress and no-one seemed to be enjoying it! So me and husband agreed to
Temporarily lower expectations and have TV dinners while in the newborn survival mode. Evenings are much calmer, she eats better I think because there’s less pressure / focus with tv as the distraction…but I worry now will it be hard to go back? Or do I just accept it until she’s a bit older and through this phase..maybe when weaning the newborn I could introduce it again.

Any tips on how to make dinner at the table run more smoothly?! I debated a booster seat rather than high chair so it’s a novelty actually sitting with the grown ups etc

No, we feed kids round 5.30 the eat once they are asleep otherwise I don’t enjoy my dinner ! And 3 times a week they eat at nursery!

This is fine. Our two didn't start having family dinners all together until our youngest turned 2 (oldest was 4)

They've both adapted to it well as they were already used to breakfast and lunch together.

During the newborn phase do whatever you have to do to survive.

We do. There was a phase of a few months which were tricky until we swapped her from a regular chair to a higher toddler chair.

Give yourself a break. Dd can have an early tea at the table, with a parent to chat to, and you can see to yourselves once she is in bed.

Reintroduce the family dinner tradition when the youngest is weaning.

Yes, nearly always, definitely 6 days a week for dinner. Dp wfh so he finishes and we all eat together.

I have a newborn and a just turned 2 year old. He sits in his high chair with the baby bit removed so no straps. Most dinners are good, we have a bad one maybe once a week if he's overtired.

Yes, we do and always have but with just one child and our particular working hours, that's relatively easy. I wouldn't judge anyone for doing whatever it takes to survive, especially with a newborn in the mix.

Our 2.5 year old has a Tripp trapp chair so sits right up to the table. She likes having her own place mat and likes it that she can get up and down on her own. Maybe sitting in a 'grown up chair' might be worth a try?

No, we rarely eat main meals with our kids to be honest. We just don’t have time. Mine are age 2&4. We often have lunch together at weekends but rarely tea. We work until 5.30pm & then go pick the kids up from after school club & nursery. Home about 6ish. They’ve both eaten main meals at school/nursery during the day, had snacks around 4.30ish so are only really wanting a light tea such as soup or cheese on toast or a sandwich! That’s 4 days a week. DD1 has gymnastics & DD2 has swimming on Fridays at 5pm so we get home about 6/6.30, sandwich or soup & straight to bed. (again, they have main meals at lunch). At the weekends, we sometimes eat together. Depends what we are doing. Often we have grown up plans such as date night or an evening out..

It is what it is. When they are both older, I’m sure we’ll eat together far more.. once they have later bedtimes & they are more compliant at sitting still! DD1 is fussy but she’s getting much better & again, hopefully that’ll keep improving as she gets older so we can enjoy more foods together. Right now, our schedule & them needing early bedtimes etc, it just doesn’t work out. I don’t stress about it. You survive & do what works in the early years. The time will come when eating together is easier to achieve.