All children typically go through a “fussy” or “picky” stage of eating at some stage in their development and the timing is different for all children but usually by the age of around 18 months to 3 years, most children have had a phase of saying “no”. Around 2 years of age, our children want increased autonomy and independence. With this comes a fear of the unfamiliar and a desire for security and familiarity so children will push for “sameness” in many areas, including food.

Food is one of the easiest things for children to control and it’s a way of testing boundaries and experimenting with how they can maintain their environment and caregivers. Fortunately, for most children, this stage doesn’t last too long and is not detrimental to their health, growth, and wellbeing, however, for some children, this stage can persist and become highly stressful for their family.

How can we encourage our children to become happy, healthy, adventurous eaters with a positive relationship with food and mealtimes?

1. Family mealtimes – All our students eat together!

RCA mealtimes are an opportunity for socialization, communication, celebration, relaxation, and physical, emotional, and spiritual nourishment and they help provide a sense of family and culture. Research shows us that there is a positive relationship between students’ mealtimes and increased self-esteem and school success along with being protective against disordered eating, destructive behaviors and poor mental health in adolescents.

• Emotional environment

Feeding is based on relationships and trust for both the teachers and the students. We Keep our mealtimes happy and exciting. Make mealtimes about spending quality time together, creating positive experiences, and having fun with food.

• Seating 
  
  Having body stability at the table when eating allows us to focus on the food and eating without focusing on stabilizing our bodies. For students to stabilize their bodies, they need to have their feet on a stable surface with their ankles, knees, and hips all at 90 degrees. How often do we see our children kneeling, slumping, slouching, fidgeting, or getting off their chairs at mealtimes? Providing seating with a footrest that can help with body stability, can help reduce these issues.

• RCA – Chef of the day
  
  Our Chef of the day will serve food to his or her fellow students. This will encourage students to appreciate the food prepared by the chef. All students will recite Dua led by the Chef. All students then say “THANK YOU CHEF” loudly!

• Routines 
  
  Both routines within our mealtimes and routine meal offerings help to provide structure and reduce anxiety at the table. Being predictable supports children’s ability to be calm when approaching the table and reduces their need to control mealtimes by refusing food.

Most importantly, mealtimes should be a social occasion that is enjoyable and pleasurable for everyone.