Problems feeding toddlers

[Guest guest]

<<Are family dinners really that important if it is with 2 kids who don't

even have 2 word phrases yet? The conversation is pretty limited (ball,

car, duck, puppy...) And there is no other adult in the room for them

to hear us speak. I thought I'd wait until they were a little older and

staying up a little later before I make the mammoth effort it will take

for me to do family dinners.>>

 

Talk about what you did to make dinner. You went to the store on Tuesday. You

thought about what to make this morning after breakfast. You defrosted

something. You started to boil the water early enough so that everything would

be ready at the same time. You made sure the table was clean and set.

 

Talk about what goes into making food: growing it, getting it to the store,

following a recipe, cutting and mixing and baking.

 

Then, talk about what everyone did that day. If they weren't with you for some

of it, talk about what you heard the caregiver say they did. Ask them questions,

even a few that they CAN answer with one or two words.

 

Tell a story or read a book while they're eating and you're sitting next to

them. Have some food in front of you and eat it too, even if you know you're

going to eat more later when they're asleep.

 

They'll grow into being an active part of " real " family dinners, but you have to

start where they're at.

 

Liz

 

 

[Guest guest]

I talked to my children all the time (now Mommy is...., and I read to my

daughter constantly from biographies and other books I was reading while she

nursed). That changed when my son was born because she had opinions on what

we should read. My son's exposure to grown-up prose was limited. My

daughter was speaking in full sentences (What's appropriate for me to watch

on television right now?- yes she had 1 hour of TV time daily) at 17 months.

My son had severe fluid issues with his ears, so he did not speak, but could

sign/mime full sentences at 19 months. Another thing to remember is to not

speak down to your children. I met a neighbor at the library and she told

me that she knew it was me, not because of voice, but because I was using 2

or 3 syllable words to a child browsing in the picture book section. Both

of my children have awesome vocabularies and read at least 3 grades above

their current grade. My son read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in

kindergarten and his only problem was some of the made-up names,

Conversation with your children is key.

 

Dinner is tough for us right now, since I work four nights a week

teaching chess, so we don't get as many family dinners as I would like. We

are trying breakfast, but it's harder with a semi-cranky teen and pre-teen

at 6:30am. I'm looking forward to the summer!

 

Noren

On

Behalf Of ERB

Friday, June 12, 2009 2:24 PM

Re: Re: Problems feeding toddlers

 

 

 

 

 

<<Are family dinners really that important if it is with 2 kids who don't

even have 2 word phrases yet? The conversation is pretty limited (ball,

car, duck, puppy...) And there is no other adult in the room for them

to hear us speak. I thought I'd wait until they were a little older and

staying up a little later before I make the mammoth effort it will take

for me to do family dinners.>>

 

Talk about what you did to make dinner. You went to the store on Tuesday.

You thought about what to make this morning after breakfast. You defrosted

something. You started to boil the water early enough so that everything

would be ready at the same time. You made sure the table was clean and set.

 

Talk about what goes into making food: growing it, getting it to the

store, following a recipe, cutting and mixing and baking.

 

Then, talk about what everyone did that day. If they weren't with you for

some of it, talk about what you heard the caregiver say they did. Ask them

questions, even a few that they CAN answer with one or two words.

 

Tell a story or read a book while they're eating and you're sitting next

to them. Have some food in front of you and eat it too, even if you know

you're going to eat more later when they're asleep.

 

They'll grow into being an active part of " real " family dinners, but you

have to start where they're at.

 

Liz