• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Start Here
    • About
    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Member Area
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Natalie
    • Taylor
    • Carissa
All Things with Purpose

All Things with Purpose

RV Renovations and Family Travel

  • Shop
    • My Store
    • Amazon
    • RVs For Sale
    • Shop My RV
  • At Home
    • Crafts & Sewing
      • Doll Clothes
    • Decor & DIY
    • Homeschooling
    • Lifestyle
    • Parties & Seasonal Celebrations
    • Recipes
  • RV Renovating
    • For Sale
    • How To
    • Tours
  • ON THE GO
    • Theme Parks
      • Ride Guides
      • Universal Studios
      • Disney World
      • SeaWorld Orlando
      • Cedar Point
    • Travel Tips
    • Camping
    • Cruises
    • Florida
    • Michigan
    • California
    • Hawaii
    • NYC
  • Popular Posts
    • How To Paint RV Walls
    • How Much Does it Cost to Renovate an RV
    • Basic Dress Pattern for American Girl Dolls
    • Our Favorite Spots in Northern Michigan
Home › Blog › Mealtime Battles

Mealtime Battles

FacebookPinTweetYummlyPrintEmail
Are you tired of fighting a battle with your kids every time you sit down to eat? I have a couple picky eaters in my house (one of them is not a kid). I also have children that get quite rambunctious and easily distracted, without fail, as soon as they sit down at the table. My kids are 5, 4 and 1. I want all three of them to be grateful, not complainers. I want them to take mealtime somewhat seriously. I want them to realize I am not a short order cook and that our kitchen does not take special requests or extend it’s hours after closing time. I’m not a heartless monster in the kitchen, but I need structure in our home and I need down time. It’s exhausting watching other moms get up and down and up and down at every single whim and request of their children! I will not be pushed around by my kids.
Here are our mealtime rules:

 

  • No complaining. You eat what is in front of you, you don’t get to make special requests.
  • You can choose not to eat, but this may result in complaints of being hungry later. For that reason, you will eat now, or not at all.
  • You will sit politely and quietly (so that when we are out to eat, sitting quietly is not a new concept).
  • You will ask to be excused before getting up, and you will take your plate to the sink.
We do generally reward our kid’s good eating habits with a small portion of dessert. This may be controversial to some people, but dessert for us usually means 1 small cookie, 1 piece of candy, or 1 fruit Popsicle  This is generally the only time during the day that our kids get sweets.
I was given the advice by a mother of 3 boys, to set the timer when my kids are goofing around instead of eating. Let me tell you, it works! I usually give them a few minutes of grace, but when I see they are acting up, I will inform them the timer is going on. I use the timer on my stove. For a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I will give between 5 and 10 minutes to finish. That may seem short, but really, how long should it actually take to eat a sandwich? Once they are motivated, they will usually finish under 5 minutes time – and that is while still eating like normal humans, no cramming everything in their mouths as fast as they can.
The first time I did this, they did not take it seriously, but I warned them I would take their food away and they would not get dessert. I felt a little cruel doing this, but I never had to do it again after that. They know now that if they do not finish they will earn a negative consequence.

Check this out! You may also like…

Basic Dress Pattern for American Girl Dolls: Easy to Learn!

Toy Story 4 Themed Birthday Party All Things with Purpose Sarah Lemp 6

Toy Story 4 Themed Birthday Party

DIY Faux Coral Tutorial

My $300 Kitchen Makeover with Painted Cabinets (4 Years Later!)

Stenciled Floor

How to Paint and Stencil Over an Ugly Linoleum Floor (Update: How Well it Has Held Up 2 Years Later!)

{DIY} Lego Storage Solutions All Things with Purpose Julia Forshee 11

{DIY} Lego Storage Solutions

My Microblading Experience 3

My Microblading Experience

How To Blow Out Easter Eggs 9

How To Blow Out Easter Eggs

What are your mealtime tricks of the trade?
FacebookPinTweetYummlyPrintEmail
Sarah Lemp smiling with coffee

About Sarah Lemp

Sarah is a second generation homeschooling mom. She lives in Metro Detroit with her husband Jay, 5 kids and dog, Edison. They love staying active as a family and going on trips in their renovated RV's. Sarah loves to sing, make pretty things and eat pizza.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating (Optional)




Sarah Lemp smiling with coffee

MORE ABOUT SARAH

Sarah is a second generation homeschooling mom. She lives in Metro Detroit with her husband Jay and 5 kids. They love staying active as a family and going on trips in their renovated camper. Sarah loves to sing, make pretty things and eat pizza.

COPYRIGHT & DISCLOSURE

All content on this site is copyright Sarah Lemp. Many of my posts contain affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and buy something, I may receive a small commission. Read more on my DISCLOSURE PAGE.

All Things With Purpose logo
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • My Account
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Affiliate Dashboard

Copyright © 2023 · All Things with Purpose · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme