Am I ruining my child

Jack really is not a big eater (I know you wouldn't think that from looking at him ) but he will take a few bites of something - and that's it.

Sometimes it will be time for him to eat - and he won't even open up his mouth. It's an all out battle.

Sooooo this is where I question if I am ruining him.

Last night I decided to roll the highchair into my dining room where we can see the TV and put on the Backyardigans.

He ate his entire meal.

I did the same thing this morning. He ate EVERYTHING and was opening wide before I even had the food ready.

I always envisioned dinner to be at the table with no TV on. Am I ruining this now and just creating bad habits? Is it ok to do while he's still little (10 months) and still learning how good food can really be?

If you think this is really really bad do you have any suggestions because I am at my wits end at mealtime!

Thanks!

Message edited 5/8/2008 8:45:09 AM.

Re: Am I ruining my child

I let Sofia watch Elmoland when she eats. I noticed last night she ate all her cereal and fruit and then a 7oz bottle which in 4.5 mts she never did..


so ELMO land and me are bff..

Why not D? he's eating!

Re: Am I ruining my child

no... sometimes when they're young, we need to distract them to get them to eat.

When he's old enough to understand the concept of *dinner time* you should turn off the tv...

Re: Am I ruining my child

mine eats almost every meal watching Full house or toy story.

I never had him watching tv and always sitting at table, one night I couldn't deal with it, took him to the living room and 40 minutes later, a clean tray. I guess we just made him bored at the table

Re: Am I ruining my child

The only way I get DD to eat a meal is through distractions as well. She is 19 months and the TV works wonders for us at mealtime. If it's working, I say "go with it!"

Re: Am I ruining my child

You know my battles with DD and eating I have been VERY tempted to turn the TV on and wheel her high chair in there, VERY tempted. But I haven't done it yet, but it has crossed my mind. And I'm not ruling it out. Oh, I do break a rule I swore I would always keep-- eating only in the highchair. I wanted to do this, badly, but she eats so much better when she's out of that thing. DH & I eat mostly at our coffee table , which is low, and DD loves to stand up against it and "beg" for food , so she'll eat anything if we cut it in little pieces and put it on the corner of the coffee table and she's standing

Whatever works for you Diana!

Re: Am I ruining my child

Well I use to do it for every meal becuse Luka would never eat for me plus you saw how convient it was for me to do that, not really moving the highchair far. Then we moved and I was rolling it into the the tv room and he would eat. Now that we moved the tv upstairs almost every meal is a battle. Part of me wishes I never started that habit. I also never wanted to admit doing it because I was embarassed but that was the only way he would eat. If I would let him eat on the couch he would eat everything and for a while I was but then he started playing with the food and then I stopped. I do let him have a snack here and their and he will sit and watch tv.

DD on the other hand has never had a meal infront of the tv.

Re: Am I ruining my child

I distract Lily all the time to get her to eat more. I usually do it by dangling a spoon from my mouth - but the tv is probably a lot more convenient!!

I don't think you're creating bad habits....not yet! When he's old enough to understand, then you can take the tv away.

Re: Am I ruining my child

i feel the same way you do that the TV should not be on while eating

but....if it is working and he is eating, its a hard call

Re: Am I ruining my child

I haven't done this, but I do distract Thomas with other things like toys while trying to get him to eat which isn't a good habit either... so I don't know!!!

Re: Am I ruining my child

In my house I have the exact opposite problem. If the TV is on during a meal, Nicholas won't eat, he'll watch TV, so I keep it off.

Re: Am I ruining my child

I don't know if it is so bad that early on. The only thing that I can tell you from experience is that DD is 18 months and when I give her a snack while she is watching tv, she eats it without realizing it. All of a sudden she will look down and the bowl is empty and then she just looks at me.

My only concern would be that they might overeat because they are distracted by the tv and don't realize when they are full - it becomes more of a habit.

Re: Am I ruining my child

In our house the TV is not on during dinner. We always like to have dinner without the TV.

If the TV being on works for you then do whatever works for you.

Re: Am I ruining my child

I have the worst eater in the world I swear!

My mom started distracting her by giving her things to hold while eating. I have to admit, I hate that habit. Its annoying and it takes SO LONG.

I started the habit of watching a dvd while eating breakfast. She eats, so why not?? Sometimes she even watches Noggin on the comp while having lunch. At this point, whatever gets her to eat, I will do.

I am sure she will grow out of it just like everything else. So I am not too worried. We do what we gotta do.

Re: Am I ruining my child

Re: Am I ruining my child

In the 3 1/2 months since I became a mom I've learned very quickly that you have to do what you have to do to get the results you want out of your child. I want DD to go back to sleep when she wakes up at 4:00 in the morning and the only way I can accomplish this quickly and easily is if I put her in bed with me. Not my ideal, but it works.

So are you creating a bad habit? Maybe. But he needs to eat and IMO eating in front of the TV is better than not eating at all.

Re: Am I ruining my child

I have a tv in my kitchen which is always on, on or off it usually doesn't phase him..my issue is he wants everything on his highchair tray.....everything on the stove, the napkin holder, utensil holder.

Sometime he points to the stove and I think he would like me to put that on his tray.

I say at this age, let him watch it if he's eating with it on! Whatever works!

Re: Am I ruining my child

just another thought...if your kid is sitting eating veggies and different types of food while watching TV, eventually you can take away TV and you still have a good eater.

Re: Am I ruining my child

Re: Am I ruining my child

Re: Am I ruining my child

Well if you are ruining your child, I am ruining mine, since we are doing the same thing lately! (but no I don't think either of us are ruining our kiddies )

I used to have a good eater here.. now he is awful, simply awful

So I too have resorted to putting him in front of the TV and feeding him while distracted.. it's really the only way he'll eat these days, and if I didn't do this I doubt he would eat at all (unless you count goldfish and cheerios as 'eating' )

He'll also eat whatever I throw on his snack tray while he's in his stroller.. go figure that one

Whatever works!!

Re: Am I ruining my child

DD is the same way, if the TV is on its like she's distracted and doesn't realize that she's eating everything. If its not on (i.e. when im "trying"to have a quiet family dinner) thats when I get the "I dont like it" or "Im full"

Message edited 5/8/2008 1:14:50 PM.

Re: Am I ruining my child

I'm so glad you posted this!! I have been fighting with Bella to eat. DH and I dance around and sing in the kitchen to try to distract her. In the morning I usually will let her eat her pancakes, waffles, whatever, standing at the coffee table watching Jack's Big Music Show and she'll eat everything.

I too didn't want to start the "eating in front of the TV" habit...I want dinnertime to be dinnertime, quality family time, like it was in my house growing up.

But right now, I would rather her eat than anything.

You were so reading my mind today!