That's Entertainment
Written By Ann Hodgman
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Okay, you don't have to create a fish-stick cottage every time, but these recipes and techniques will keep your toddler busy in her high chair so you can have a few minutes of mealtime peace.
Recipes:
No pressure! All you have to do is come up with a meal that everyone in your family, including your toddler, can enjoy. Nothing fancy — no soufflés or deep-fried whatevers — but a reasonable supper nonetheless. Then you have to summon everyone to the table. Then you have to pop a squirming toddler — like Juliette here (pictured) — into her high chair. Then you have to rush toward your own chair. By the time you've sat down three-tenths of a second later, Juliette is done with her supper and is once again squirming to be set free. Now what?
You don't want to force her to keep eating if she's not hungry. Nutritionists wouldn't approve. But you also don't want to turn her loose just yet. You're not asking for a two-hour meal with a split of champagne here! All you want is, say, 12 minutes of civilized conversation with the rest of your family before you get up with a sigh and join Juliette at her favorite new activity: feeding Lego pieces into the DVD player.
So you need some tactics for keeping her in the high chair for those crucial 12 minutes. And the first trick you'll need to perform is on yourself: You have to free yourself of the notion that Juliette should spend as much time eating as you do. There's no way a toddler can be expected to eat for as long as her parents because she doesn't eat as much as her parents. For us, the table is a gathering place as well as a place to eat; mealtimes are social events, not just a chance to cram in calories. Why shouldn't the same be true of a child in a high chair? The whole point is to keep her entertained, so she wants to stay in her seat. And you're not spoiling her by keeping her amused, either; you're meeting her needs so that you can meet your own. Got it?
Now, about making that high chair entertaining:
First, be creative with toddler utensils. My kids loved being given a garlic press to puree some of their own dinner. They also liked using cookie cutters, an egg slicer (which is perfectly safe — no sharp corners, and the wires aren't sharp enough to hurt fingers), a small whisk, and little lidded containers with the food inside for them to open by themselves. Sure, they spent part of their mealtime scooping uneaten food from one container to another — but that was time that I got to talk to my husband. And sure, the high chair ended up a little messier — but meal messiness is just a matter of degree when you have children.
It's a good idea to keep a stash of small plastic toys ready, toys that you can put onto the high chair tray as your child's interest in food begins to flag. A farm animal can "eat" some of her meal. Plastic cars and trucks can drive through her food when they're not being piled with bits of chicken and zucchini. Little plastic people ... I think you can see where I'm going with this. Again, toys may make things a little messier, but they'll buy you precious time.
Finally, consider an occasional family meal in your toddler's favorite spot. She's been eating with you guys at the table every night. Why shouldn't you all eat in her play area once in a while? For that supper, you may not even need the high chair.
