Parenting Tips for Your 43-44 Month Old Child
Family meals are not only important for your child, but for you too. A study showed that families who eat together every day or almost every day eat more nutrients and less fat. Children who eat with their families tend to eat more vegetables and fruits, and eat less snack foods.
To get your child excited about eating with the family at mealtime:
- Involve her in meal preparation.
- Include at least one food that your child enjoys to make sure she will at least eat something.
- Tempt her to accept new foods, vary the color and texture of the foods at the table. Try finger foods that crunch and crackle. When your child tries new food items, she may not like them right away. Make the food available as many as 7-15 times. If she sees everyone else enjoying the food, she may decide that it is not so bad.
- Encourage her to participate in family conversation.
Do not expect your child to have perfect table manners. She will learn from you, so model good manners. Between the ages of three and four, your child will be able to:
- drink from a cup
- use her fingers to push foods onto a spoon
- pick up foods with a fork
The atmosphere for the meal is important. Make the setting as comfortable, calm, and stress free as possible. Shut off the television, and reduce distractions such as the phone ringing.
Your child may not be able to sit still through the entire meal, which is okay! Allow her to leave the table and do a quiet activity like playing with blocks. Helping your child enjoy healthy foods from a young age will start her on a path for a lifetime of healthy eating.
