T Rex has started sitting up to the table during dinner time. He'll probably continue to use his high chair tray during other meals since we generally do not eat together all three meals (except on the weekend). I recently read a study about kids who eat dinner with their parents every night - they are 50% less likely to have sex (or engage in risky behavior) during high school than kids who do not have family meals together every night. I cannot find the study but I recall reading it and the statistics that went along with it. Since I am all for delaying T Rex's first sexual encounter and avoiding drugs, I figure this is an easy step to take starting now.
We started doing family dinners all together when T Rex starting eating solids at 6 months. It can be a challenge when T Rex Dad doesn't get home until 6:30 but a late snack usually gets us there. It's really important for us so we've made dinner times together a priority.
And to make this time more fun, we picked out special dishes. These are all from Target and Savers. I did veto one of his picks - it was a full sized lunch tray like the ones in school cafeterias. He really liked it but it was quite big!
Here's some of our selection:
A compromise - these are mini-trays.
He's been getting a little frustrated with the spoon - he will finish about half his non-finger food and declare that he wants us to finish feeding it to him. He has always been an eager eater so I can only surmise that he's just so anxious to finish his food that he wants it faster. Have any of you experienced the same with your little ones?
Next we want to get some kid style place mats. Let me know if you a favorite kind you recommend. Otherwise, Target here we come - again!
Happy dinner time to you and your family!
7 comments:
We eat all of our dinners together as a family as well. No radio, tv or phone calls. The weekends all meals are at the table together too.
Although I don't think that study could be that accurate. We had all our meals at the table as a family growing up too, and well..... lets just say I don't that study could be that accurate.
We have some 'kids' placemats, Diego, Cars, some with Dinos. Most of them came from Walmart, I think they were like 1.98 each.
The Disney Store (do you have those there?) has so REALLY great plates. The boys LOVE them. We have Cars and WallE.
I also change up our 'regular' placemats a lot and that seems fun to them. ex: Green in March, Red in Feb. star shaped in July, pumpkin shaped in October.
To Mommy of M's - I did say family dinners only decreased incidence of risky behavior by 50% not 100%!
I am sure you have a few stories to tell about the other 50%?!?
All kidding aside - Thanks for the info on place mats and such.
What a very special (and important!) tradition to start! We have been doing that too.
We always had family dinners growing up- and out of four kids, 2 engaged in what I would classify as "risky business" (especially my brother!) and the other 2 not. I was one of the good ones, by the way. So, we were at 50% woohoo!
I have had a hard time finding placemats. I haven't seen any at Target.
The one that we do have I got from the Hanna Andersson outlet in Portland. The only problem is that Joseph dumps his bowls out of the way to see the placemats! :)
And yes, we have the problem with the utensils too. Joseph ditches his after a few minutes to shovel it in by hand! :)
T-Rex is having a ball at meal times! You give him such cool stuff to look at on those plates. I get kid placemats at WalMart too. Target always has great choices. It's fun when the little ones join the meal time. They can get pretty creative when playing with their food:)
Oh no, I've only HEARD of stories, yea that's it, HEARD of stories!!
I have seen those plates at Target a while back (love that store). I will have to see if we have them marked down here and buy some, that is a great deal.
The family dinner thing is a must in our house. I grew up in a house where we had dinner together at the table every night. Since Luke was little we have always sat together and had dinner. My husband did not grow up this way but I think he likes the quality time we all have at dinner together. Some nights Eric gets home so late we are eating dinner at 7:30 but thats ok we are doing it as a family.
I am a HUGE believer in family meals. It was a big thing in our house and my mom hammered it into my head. I will make sure this happens as my Little One gets older. It is so important!
And I love the dishes at Target! We have some for my son as he doesn't like food "mixed" togther and they have nice big spaces. Plus they are so cute and colorful and cheap!
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