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Can't Wait for Dinner
Make Family Mealtime Fun for Toddlers and Preschoolers
By Amy Dingmann
You don't have to be an adult to help out with dinnertime tasks. Even the youngest family members can get involved.
"Sometimes I have my 2-year-old help me cook or clean up," says Katie Dusing, a mother of two from Sauk Rapids, Minn. "He pours dried noodles into water or ingredients into a mixture. He's helped me make brownies or cakes."
Even older babies and toddlers can join in the fun by banging around with pots and pans while their parents put a meal together. Give them utensils similar to what you're using to cook supper and let them "help" from their highchair.
Let your children use their artwork to create placemats for the family. Family photo collages also work well for this. You can have your homemade placemats laminated at any office supply store so they will last longer. Toddlers and preschoolers can also create a tablecloth from a bed sheet or other piece of fabric and fabric paint or markers.
Let each person be in control of mealtime once a month, perhaps on the same date as their birthday. Let them choose the menu, how to set the table, what dishes to use, what music to play in the background or how to say grace.