Reply to How much time for family dinner?

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Reply to "How much time for family dinner?"

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, what you do now will change as your children age.  Having a family dinner with a 20 month old is way more than most are doing, so bravo!

And having children eat while seated, not grazing back and forth, is a great habit to get into (and safer for eating and not choking).  Also, it teaches a child to "listen to your body, are you still hungry or are you full?"

What about..... when they are done with dinner you and the 4 year old cleared away their plates and silverware (dumped in sink for later!) and then they got to use playdough at the table for another 20 minutes?  a mound of playdough for each, along with a basket of playdough tools that are kept in the kitchen for this reason, would be so much fun!

They'd be sitting there where you can watch them so they wouldn't be interrupting, soyou and DH could chat about whatever, which means your 2 children are learning about conversation and how to have one around the table.  Your 4 year old might join in that conversation while squeezing playdough, while the toddler will be listening and learning.

In another year with a 2 and 5 year old you may have 2 year old use playdough while 5 year old keeps chatting, or whatever.  But it helps them learn to stretch their time out without being bored and throwing food, etc.  You are right, you don't want their behavior to deteriorate because they are bored and then get disciplined for that.

Then after those 20 minutes of playdough, your husband will be mostly done and you can get up and clear away the table and start putting things in dishwasher, and the kids can go play with trucks, etc and you will still be close to husband so he isn't left alone at a table while you are in other rooms. [/quote]

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