Providing Choice at Meal Times

We love providing choices to our kids and showing them that we value their opinions and judgement. This can be difficult at meal times though because you do not want to have to cook multiple meals for your children at each meal, so where can you provide choices?

As you know, at The Little School everyone from the Blue Building to the preschoolers enjoy the same meal prepared by Chef Justin. This is what is expected and everyone happily gobbles up what is in front them. Or sometimes, more hesitantly pokes around at the plate, nibbling and trying different pieces and elements of the meal. All this is to say, it can be done through a lot of consistency.            

But again you ask, where do those choices come in? Here are some options for how to incorporate your child and their opinions in your meal time.

• ·         Allow them to help in planning the meals for the week, perhaps picking out one or two meals that will be made that week.
• ·         If you like to choose what you make that day, provide two to three choices you are willing to make and allow them to select. Make only the one meal for everyone in the family to enjoy.
• ·         Offer to provide choices on setting the table such as what table cloth to use or what plates
• ·         Include them in cooking
• ·         Let them select a utensil to use
• ·         Let them select dressing for a salad

Have fun with it and when needed take three deep breathes! You can do it!
-Ali Huber