Thanks these are great ideas and perhaps we are not so unique in our situation. They eat sit down lunch at school and always get great marks on how they behave so i know its just taking advantage of tired parents!

I don’t do toys or tv, but we sometimes do audiobooks or we will FT grandparents over dinner. But most of the time I sit with them and talk. We have a set of conversation-starter cards and we’ll draw a card and go around and ask each other the question.

I'd start with snack time routines, and foods they love. So, bring them to the table, for a favorite food, with the expectation that there are no toys. Once they've done that 2 or 3 times, extend the rule to all meals and snacks.

We always played lots of games at the table when the kids were younger.

20 questions

Pick a category. Name one thing from the category beginning with each letter of the alphabet. (Our kids could do this at four, but some couldn't. You could also do one thing from the category that's each color of the rainbow, or just take turns naming things from the category until someone gets stuck.)

Two truths and a lie. Tell three things that happened to you today. Two are true and one is false. Everyone tries to guess the false one. (It is REALLY hard to fool each other when we're together all day though.)

Did your kids ever go to a PreK with a sit-down lunch? Ours really stressed table manners--wash hands first, don't eat standing up, no distractions, make sure everyone has been served before you eat, clean up afterward and carry your trash to the trash and your tray to the kitchen, that kind of thing. We taught them at home, but I think peer pressure really helped with driving home good habits.

Let me preface this by saying I have two kids. One who seemed to never get enough food and one that is more selective in what he will eat. Past the infant stage, I never allowed them to have toys while eating and the adults don't use tech while eating with the kids. We talk. Everyone gets a turn and interrupting someone is frowned upon.

I have a friend who's toddler used to run around the kitchen/house in between bites of food. Not ideal. There was no reason for it. It drove me nuts. He wasn't/isn't hyper. He was a runner though. Just about anywhere they would go he would just bolt. I chalked it up to bad parenting and a stay at home mom that was overwhelmed. He did grow out of it with a lot of encouragement. He's a good kid now.

You could let them not eat dinner. When they get up early, they can play quietly in their room(s), but won't get breakfast until a reasonable hour. A couple of days of doing this and they will likely change their tune.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always sit with them

And eat with them?

DP. I find if I eat with my kids, they eat more adventurously.

Are you sitting and talking with them? If you can’t for whatever reason, can you come up with something for them to do together?

My youngest is like this - his first question when he sits down is what are we going to talk about. The idea of just sitting and eating quietly just does not work for him. If we aren’t talking, he will wander around (to my dismay).

Sit with them and talk with them. Even if you're not eating with them.

Anonymous wrote:I’m like this too. I hate sitting and eating with nothing to do. The act of eating is pretty dull, in my opinion.

IF aloneness - yes. If with another person - no. You eat and talk.

Anonymous wrote:I always sit with them

And eat with them?

I’m like this too. I hate sitting and eating with nothing to do. The act of eating is pretty dull, in my opinion.

I always sit with them

Are you eating with them and talking to them?

My kids 6 and 4 want to have distractions While they eat- books, toys, etc Otherwise the really dont like eating and will go to bed hungry, wake up early....I dont like this habit and want them to sit and eat without needing to be entertained. Dont ask me how it started but its out fault. How do we change it?