Try this with your finicky eaters. Give the kids super-small portions and then set
the timer for twenty minutes. If the children finish before the timer goes off, they
get their dessert. You may not nag or prompt—the timer will do that for you.This scene is not a warm-and-friendly family interaction. This
episode has all the elements for disaster: one picky eater, two fighting
siblings, and two weary parents who are talking too much and asking
silly questions. Here are several routines to help avoid this kind of
trouble.
Strategies for Mealtime
Small Portions and a Kitchen Timer
Do you have fussy eaters like Picky Pete? Get out a kitchen timer and
set it for twenty minutes when you all sit down at the table. Tell the
kids they have to finish their dinner in that time. If they do finish the
meal in twenty minutes, they get their dessert. You’re not allowed to
prompt anyone to eat; that’s what the timer is for.
When you start the kitchen timer method, initially give your hard-
to-please children very small portions of foods they don’t like. Even
ridiculously small, if necessary, such as three peas, a tablespoon of
scalloped potatoes, and two bites of pork chop. Research shows that
children who are exposed to new foods but not forced to eat them will
often come around and start to enjoy some of the more exotic
possibilities. That result is a lot healthier for them in the long run.
If the kids goof around or fight at the dinner table, they get
counted. If anyone hits a count of 3, he is timed out for five minutes
while the twenty minutes on the timer keep on ticking. You may not
make comments such as, “Come on now, don’t forget the timer’s
ticking,” or “Quit that goofing around and get down to eating, young
man!” You are probably also aware by now that you should not count