4 Reasons Why Dinnertime Can Be Challenging for Children
Is dinnertime a struggle? You’re not alone! Dinnertime can be particularly challenging for children, and I am going to explain 4 possible reasons why and what you can do (and not do) to help. But quickly, I want to tell you what led me to write this post.
In The K2N Facebook Group, I post my weekly dinner plans to offer ideas and share recipes. A mom in the group asked if my 2-year-old daughter eats all the meals I post, which may include items like salmon, rice, and veggies; tofu stir-fry; and chicken parmesan to name a few. And I imagine many of you are wondering the same thing. From the recipes I post, you might assume my daughter is a pretty mature and adventurous eater. But she really isn’t. Or, you might wonder if I’m making something separate for her. But I’m not. She is a regular toddler who, like many, has picky tendencies and needs time to learn to like certain foods. Just because her mom is a dietitian doesn’t mean she was sprinkled with magic dust to make her eat veggies. Some kids are adventurous eaters, and if you have one, encourage and challenge them with a variety of foods. If you don’t, also encourage and challenge them with a variety of foods. The approach is the same. There are foods that are easy to like (like goldfish crackers, French fries, and cookies), and there are foods that take some time and learning (like veggies and meat). It’s all about exposure, no pressure, and patience.
Dinnertime can be a particularly challenging time for children, and here are 4 reasons why:
1. Mature Foods Can be More Challenging
Dinnertime is usually the family meal where we spend the most time preparing and cooking compared to other meals. These foods tend to be more mature, or what we might consider to be “adult” foods, and perhaps more challenging to the child. I would say dinner is often the most challenging meal for my daughter…unless it’s pizza night!
2. Lack of Hunger or Appetite
Some kids eat most of their calories during the first half of the day and not as much at the end of the day. So, they might not be very hungry by dinnertime. It may look like they don’t like what is offered, but they really just aren’t that hungry.
It’s very normal (for little ones especially) to not eat their whole plate at every eating opportunity. This may mean that they eat great for breakfast and lunch, but not so much at dinner. Some other kids might eat breakfast, not so much at lunch, but eat well at dinner. And some kids eat well for all 3 meals. All of the above is normal and OK. Their hunger level can also fluctuate from day-to-day meaning some days they eat more than others. Let your child listen and respond to their internal hunger and fullness cues. And don’t automatically assume that they don’t like your dinner.
The other possibility is the interference of snacks. If the afternoon snack is too close to dinner, or if there is grazing going on leading up to dinnertime, it can spoil their appetite and they won’t be ready to explore their meal.
3. Increased Pressure to Eat
There may be more pressure on the child to eat dinner because it is viewed as the main meal in our culture (and usually the biggest). If you are an avid reader on my blog, you know pressure does not help and can actually turn kids off even more.
4. Distracted by Dessert
After dinner, there might be dessert. Some kids just can’t get through dinner because their mind is on dessert.
Not the only reasons
These certainly aren’t the only reasons why children struggle with eating at dinnertime or eating in general, but they are common ones that I see often. Other factors that can interfere include the following: comfortability (i.e. do they have proper seating and age-appropriate eating utensils?), distractions (like TV), overtiredness, behavioral issues, or medical issues. So there is definitely more to explore if needed.
So what can you do?
To learn how to deal with these 4 dinnertime challenges, get my FREE guide on How To Help Your Child Succeed with Eating at Dinnertime.
Thank you to the amazing mama who asked that important question which led me to write this post! If you have further questions about this topic, please comment below or send me an email at jaclynrogers@theknowledgetonourish.com! I would love to chat and answer any questions you have.
**Disclaimer: This post and blog is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for individual medical advice. If your child struggles with eating at multiple eating times, is missing food groups, and isn’t gaining and growing adequately, then care from a medical team is needed. Always reach out to your pediatrician for guidance if things don’t seem to be going right.
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