How to Slow Down a Child's Eating

If mealtimes in your home seem like a race to see who eats the fastest, then it's time to make some changes. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to signal that the belly is full. If your kids eat their food within 5 or 10 minutes, for example, they are more likely to overeat because they don't know they've been satisfied until well after mealtime is over. Helping your children break old habits and learn the art of eating slowly will take some time, but with consistency, you can succeed.

Instructions

    • 1

      Use mealtimes as conversation times. The more your kids talk, the slower they eat. If you don't know what to talk about, you're not alone. Some websites and books saw this need and provide family conversation starters, such as one from Aha! Parenting.com, "If you were invisible, where would you go and what would you do?"

    • 2

      Practice with your children to put down the fork or spoon after each bite, then take a drink of water. Do this together as a family at each meal until everyone breaks the constant plate-to-mouth motion that becomes a bad habit for many people.

    • 3

      Set a time frame for meals, such as 20 minutes, and don't allow anyone to get up or get seconds or dessert until the main part of the meal time is over. If your kiddos know they can get dessert or go back to their video games, bikes and building blocks as soon as they're done eating, then they're more likely to scarf down their meals.

    • 4

      Implement a reward system to encourage your children to slow down while eating. A sticker chart often works well for little ones. Give your child a sticker after each meal during which she eats slowly. Then, at the end of the week, give a reward for meeting a goal, such as having earned 10 or 15 stickers.

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