![\"Instead](\"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/278091657_661121508282854_227894204214486425_n.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. “Do you want more pasta or more cucumbers?”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Like most adults, kids generally appreciate having autonomy over their decisions. We\u2019re showing them respect, and helping them practice decision-making and problem-solving, when we give them a choice between two healthy food options. As a bonus, we also \u201cwin\u201d since we get our kids to eat nutritious food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. “First, let\u2019s eat and then we\u2019ll watch TV.”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kids generally go for instant rather than delayed gratification. That\u2019s why we sometimes have to fuss so hard to get them to eat! But through co-regulation<\/a>, we invite our children to learn how to prioritize less-preferred tasks. They\u2019ll begin to value nutrition and nourishment before they play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As adults, we know that food fuels our bodies. Our kids are still learning this fact. Let\u2019s promote a healthy relationship with ‘food as fuel’ as we discuss nutrition and how our bodies use the foods we eat. While we honor our children\u2019s energy, we also inform their future eating habits and choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mealtime is about more than eating food. Sharing meals also gives us uninterrupted time to talk, laugh and reflect together. We tap into our children\u2019s desire to connect when we talk as we eat. Our undivided attention and listening ears help our children feel loved, too, which can prompt them to\u2026 wait for it\u2026 actually eat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When our children refuse to eat, they\u2019re focused on what they don\u2019t like. This gentle reminder invites children to think about a pleasurable eating experience they enjoyed in the past. We don\u2019t use this phrase to manipulate our kids with guilt. Rather, it\u2019s a reminder that taps into their emotions. And our love, care, and cooking skills may motivate reluctant children to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Practically no parent wants to be a short-order cook, am I right? And we know that snacking can lead to emotional, as opposed to healthy, eating habits. So, in a loving, gentle way, let\u2019s set boundaries about when food will be served. Instead of pushing our kids or demanding results, we show respect when we allow them to tell us when they\u2019re finished. We still retain our authority as parents, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Through gentle, loving and helpful language, we can modify our children\u2019s behavior during mealtime. Let’s take some stress off of our kid’s plates and enjoy dinner time together! AND, if you’re interested in more help promoting healthy relationships with food, as well as appreciation for our amazing bodies, check out the new GoZen! Body Confidence Kit<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You\u2019ve used them. Your parents used them. Their parents used them. I\u2019m talking about classic mealtime parenting phrases. Let\u2019s see how many we can name: \u201cDon\u2019t play with your food.\u201d \u201cChew with your mouth closed!\u201d \u201cStay in your seat.\u201d And then there\u2019s the always popular \u201cFinish your food!\u201d We want our children to eat all … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2190,"featured_media":2093576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[711,708,709,710,707],"class_list":["post-2091062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gozen-anxiety-relief","tag-dinner","tag-food","tag-healthy-eating","tag-manners","tag-mealtime","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2091062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2190"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2091062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2091062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2093576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2091062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2091062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gozen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2091062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}3. “Eating gives our bodies energy! Let\u2019s make sure you don\u2019t run out”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. “I want to hear about your school day over dinner.” <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. “I remembered how much you loved this meal last time, so I made it again for you.”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. “I see you\u2019re done for now. Our next meal will be this afternoon.”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n