Sitting down for meals
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19701
Printed Date: 23 July 2025 at 11:41pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Sitting down for meals
Posted By: Jay_R
Subject: Sitting down for meals
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 12:18pm
|
Anyone got any tips on how to keep a two year old at the table when eating??? Joshua refuses to stay seated, and would prefer not to eat at all than be made to stay sitting at the table.
|
Replies:
Posted By: My3Sons
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 12:28pm
|
Hello stranger!!! We had a booster type chair thing for Z that I pulled out again, its like those foam couches but a chair and it has a strap you tie around the chair and you can buckle them in. L loves it, cause it has the wiggles on and he can sit at the "big" table with us. Think we got it from the warehouse? And as an added bonus he would be confined lol!! ------------- Mum to Mr 10, Mr 6 and Mr 4 
 
|
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 12:39pm
|
We have a little table and chairs for Josh he usually sits there well as it is his own table. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Jay_R
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 2:48pm
Hey Char  I know, sorry to have been such a stranger lately!
Re the booster thingy, I'm trying to get away from having to restrain him at meal times, get him to understand that eating time is when we sit and don't run around. And we do have a little set of table and chairs for him, but he still hoons round when he's at them as well. I'm just going to have to persevere with the sitting thing til he gets it I suppose! |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 2:52pm
|
thats what we did - told them the rule was to sit until we had all finished and if they got off the seat just put them back on... they get it eventually. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
|
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 3:01pm
|
What I did with Michaela was:
It took a bit of patience but she's now pretty good at sitting down and eating her dinner.
-------------  
|
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 3:13pm
| Sticker chart or some kind of reward system? So he sees that sitting at the table is really good |
Posted By: Jay_R
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 3:17pm
|
I'm not sure he'd understand a sticker chart just yet, but that is a good idea for the future
I think also we really need to start doing family dinners. We all eat breakfast together, and lunch on the weekends, but dinners together don't happen very often. Joshua is starving come 5pm, and DP isn't usually home til 6 ish. I dislike eating too early, and usually find if I do then I'm prowling the kitchen again by 8pm 
|
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 3:22pm
|
What about giving Josh a snack at 4:30 - 5pm, something that will tide him over until family dinner time without filling him up (cheese and crackers, fruit etc). I found Michaela started eating so much better when I started eating with her. -------------
|
Posted By: Jay_R
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 3:25pm
| Thats a good idea Jo. And I guess I need to also put aside my eating early issues as well as its going to have to happen sooner or later!! |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 01 August 2008 at 3:36pm
|
Maybe you could stretch Josh out to 6:30pm and bring your dinnertime forward to 6:30 too so both you and DP are home to eat with Josh. Worth a try anyway. -------------
|
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 02 August 2008 at 8:22pm
|
I strap the gremlins into booster seats coz otherwise they run riot. I find they do eat better if we all eat together, days when we don't they play up more. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
|
Posted By: Mazzy
Date Posted: 02 August 2008 at 8:57pm
|
We strap DD1 into a booster seat too. The occasional time we don't tie her down she stands up in her chair and is generally a nightmare. I figure we'll start with the restraint and go from there!
We eat together at 6pm (DH is usually home at 5.45pm at the latest) and I kind of like having dinner early - means that once DD1 is in bed we get some chill out time in the evening when I'm not cooking/dishes are already done. ------------- Mum to two gorgeous girls! |
Posted By: Shorty
Date Posted: 04 August 2008 at 11:56am
|
We are not into the booster seat thing here either.
We now know that our boy will only eat when we do and of course only what we eat. We don't get home till after 5 so I can't get dinner organised and on the table till after 6, he was always used to dinner at 5.30 when we only worked short hours. We now give him a snack at 4.30-5ish and it gets him through till dinner time. We have also involved him in the preparation of dinner (don't get me wrong at his choice AND not slave labour before anyone shoots me down lol) he makes a mess more than anything, but it helps him to understand that dinner is till a wee while off. ------------- http://www.alterna-tickers.com"> 
|
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 04 August 2008 at 12:22pm
|
LOL Shorty!! How old is DS and what sort of things does he help with? I have pictures of Michaela doing dishes, vacuuming and cleaning my fridge (which she did a brilliant job of it BTW). She also likes to help with mopping and sweeping but I don't let her help with cleaning the bathroom or kitchen surfaces because I use strong detergents (and they don't make rubber gloves small enough for her wee hands -------------
|
Shorty wrote:Posted By: Kazzle
Date Posted: 04 August 2008 at 12:43pm
|
im not sure how you can keep at the table, i know with Rhiannon she sits still at the table and eats if we are eating with her...and she now has a big (reads kiddies) knife and fork, and she helps me prepare dinner sometimes, and sometimes dish it up.
I get her to help set the table and clear it away....but i do know that if we put her at the table and dont at least stay with her she wont eat. we also have the rule that once you ahve left the table then there is no more dinner...seems to work...only went hungry for 2nights ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: CuriousG
Date Posted: 04 August 2008 at 1:02pm
|
We also have the dramas but most of the time, she is pretty good. However, SHE wanted her highchair back(!) so we have dug that out of the garage again. Its helping immensely.
We also have the rule, once down from the table, thats it. Nothing else. Works well for us. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Shorty
Date Posted: 04 August 2008 at 2:01pm
|
Mrs Mojo, (sorry don't know how to copy your note)
He was 2 last month. He loves to vacuum and mop and does a blardy good job of it too 
He gets in with the dishes too, not too bad but still a bit of work needed there. Also keep him away from the bathroom, when he has a shower he tried to use his flannel to clean the walls. Clare wonder if you offered his high chair again, if he doesn't want to use it then he has to sit at the table? ------------- http://www.alterna-tickers.com">
|