Food Freedom: Encouraging Independent Eating
Strong independent eating habits are important for your toddler and pre-schooler. But if you ask any parent or guardian about preparing lunches and snacks for a school day and you will likely hear what a game show contestant hears when they give a wrong answer…
Wanh-wanh
Lunch and snack preparation can a lot of tricky questions:
- What are the healthiest options?
- What is most convenient?
- Will my child eat it?
But one thing that parents and guardians may fail to ask is “How will they eat it?” No matter if you are making a full meal from scratch or throwing a pre-packaged snack in their bag, your preschooler needs to know how they can access it!
Storage containers, zippered plastic bags, aluminum foil, silicone food bags, packaged foods, and beeswax wrap all have their own special way of being handled, and opened. Take a look at this list of snack containers that are preschooler-friendly and simple to use.
If you haven’t thought about it, know that you are not alone. Many preschoolers to struggle with food-related tasks. Thankfully there are a few helpful tips that can build some independent eating habits.
Practice Makes Independent Eating
Some packaged foods, like juice boxes, fruit cups, and yogurt tubes, are particularly frustrating (and messy!) if not handled properly. Show your preschooler how to successfully open them, and then practice together. This could make for less accidents (looking at you fruit cup) but more importantly your preschooler will have a sense of accomplishment when they are able to do it themselves.
The Right Tool for the Job
Don’t forget the utensils. While it is easy to toss a container of yogurt into a lunch bag, it’s important to think about how it’s going to get eaten. Afraid your good spoons will get lost along the way? Buy an inexpensive set of reusable kid-friendly utensils, so you don’t mourn the loss of a spoon or knife. Ikea has an inexpensive, durable set that is kid-friendly (no sharp knives here) easy to handle, and comes in fun colors.
The Early Bird
This is an oldie but a goodie…plan on packing food the night before. Yes, I know that you have heard this a thousand times, but this piece of advice holds up. You can make your mornings less stressful by getting this out of the way, and encourage independent eating.
Appoint Them Sous Chef
Allow your preschooler to start helping in the kitchen. There is no better bonding experience than preparing food together, and it will give them experience with handling utensils, cookware. Hopefully it will also help them appreciate all that you do in the kitchen! You can identify learning opportunities to make food handling easier for them on their own. The Food Network has a great list of dishes from entrees to desserts with step-by-step instructions that you can make with your children (even the youngest one!)
S.O.S
Did your child forget how the storage container works? Having trouble with a fork? Just can’t quite get that package of crackers open? Let them know that they can always ask for help. Propose a system where they try at least two times, and if they still need help, all they have to do is ask! Putting a cap on the number of tries before asking for help could ease their patience (and yours!).
Remember it takes time to become a pro in the kitchen, and at the lunch or snack table, but building some independent eating habits doesn’t have to be tricky. With a little guidance and some practice, negotiating containers, utensils, and pre-packaged foods will become old hat for your preschooler…even the dreaded fruit cup!