Real moms’ strategies for kids who won't sit still during meal times

Get your toddler to sit and eat with these tips.

Trust me when I say that the real struggle of parenting is getting your child to eat. The time till the child is breastfed (or formula fed) is the golden phase of the child, because they seldom fuss over it. But the minute you start giving solids and start weaning them, they decide to take revenge for taking away the pleasure of being on milk exclusively by becoming wriggly beings who will squirm and shake at the sight of food approaching their mouth. It becomes most difficult when the child hits the terrible twos and realises that she can actually make mealtimes an Olympic-level sport by running all over the house, crawling into the tiniest places and shaking her head at the speed of 6978966853 shakes per second to avoid being fed. Once your toddler figures out a way to escape being trapped in the hi-chair, mealtimes will only start going south. When a mother says, My child eats NOTHING it is actually a cry for help. If you are going through this torture currently, this is exactly what you need real moms strategies to get your child to sit and eat.

I time mealtimes so that it is right in between when my toddler is engrossed in playing with a toy. I serve her plate, grab the toy and tell her that she can get it back only when she finishes whatever is on her plate. Initially, this was met with toddler mutiny, just like any new change does, but I was persistent and now it works! Shraddha Randhawa, mother to a tornado in pigtails.

What I do is serve my son more food than he will eat. Master negotiator that he is, he will never agree to finish his food, even if all I give him is one morsel of rice. I feel that he feels empowered by not finishing his meals, like he had the last say. But being his mother, I stay a step ahead, of course. I give him more than he will eat, negotiate with him to finish at least half and that is what he does. I am sure I am winning this! Jjiya Santhosh, mother to an entrepreneur-in-making.

I regret saying this already, but the only way I can get my toddler to sit in a place and eat is by putting a screen in front of her. I know its not ideal, but toddlers seldom play by rules. I make sure that she watches cartoons that are suitable for her age and ones that teach her something of value. And also, mealtimes is the only time when she actually watches any TV, so I think it is cool. Kanupriya A, mother to a future movie critic.

My toddler has all his meals in the balcony, sitting on the ledge and looking at the crows and pigeons. I have tried making him sit on the dining table, on the hi-chair and even regular chairs, but in vain. I have to cook up elaborate stories about the birds, and he eats for as long as I go on speaking. Gina Matthew, mother to a budding storyteller.

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