HELP! How Do I Get The Kids To Eat Dinner?

Mealtimes, for many families, are a battleground of tantrums, tears, power and control.

Oftentimes, children simply refuse to eat meals, with dinner being one of the most difficult to manage. So, is there really anything that parents can do to get their children to eat dinner?

Well, there are no guarantees, and pretty much all schools of parenting believe that forcing a child to eat only causes more problems, for you and for them, further down the line. Still, there are other methods than forcing, and we have a few for you to try.

1. Check What Else They’re Eating

If your child is regularly refusing to eat dinner, it could be that they’re simply not hungry. Have a look at what they’re eating on an average day, thinking about suggested portion sizes for kids, and you might find that your kids have already had enough to eat for the day, and just aren’t interested in dinner because of that. If these are snacks that you’re providing, consider cutting them down or out in order to motivate kids back to dinner.

2. Still Make Them Sit At The Table

If you know your child should be eating, but they’re stubbornly refusing to because they don’t like what’s on offer or they are trying to get some control over you, remember that you set the rules. One of the rules you should set is a minimum time for sitting at the dinner table. Even if kids aren’t eating, they should still sit at the table, with the rest of the family, and participate in the dinnertime conversation.

3. Don’t Allow Junk Options

Sometimes, one of the things that keeps kids refusing food is the availability of other junk foods after dinner or before it. If your child knows that there’s junk food available (like dessert and similar), it’s not really a surprise that they refuse to eat the healthy and nutritious food on their plates. One way to deal with this is to absolutely disallow junk food after dinner, particularly for children who don’t participate in dinner itself.