Longest lunch time!

[DeeDee]

So one of my dcb is three. When we sit to eat lunch he acts like the class clown. Won't stop talking, hey look at me stuff. The younger ones get distracted and don't want to eat.. I ask him to stop it doesn't.. Any one else have these problems? How can I get him to sit quietly and eat?

[BlueRose]

My own son did this when I first started the dc. I would give the kids 30 to 45 min to eat, when lunch or snack time was over I took the plates away, done or not. No food until next snack/lunch. My son quietly learned that he had to eat when the food was given to him or go hungry until the next meal. It worked. He still acts silly some days, but he eats.

[Crayola kiddies]

You could tell him he has lost the price page of eating with his friends and sit him in a chair by himself away from everybody else so they cant see his antics till they have finished and then he gets his turn.

[playfelt]

Only those that eat their meal without wasting time fooling around or playing with the food have time to have dessert. Once it is served that is it. So if you miss out too bad. Anything that involves fooling around with the food has the plate removed. Child would sit at the table foodless till others have had a chance to eat then he would have his food while I cleaned up the kitchen and others got to play.

[sunnydays]

I don't serve dessert, but I like Playfelt's method of making the child wait and eat after. I did this with my own 4.5 year old last week as he was being rude and goofy and get all the other kids riled up...except that I sent him away from the table until the others were done. I needed him to be away where he could not distract the others further. It worked well.

[apples and bananas]

I would be tempted to move him. Is there a booster chair with a tray on it? Can you turn him around so he's not distracted?

I would also remove the food at the end of the meal. He'll learn quickly that you eat when you have the chance.

[Momof4]

I've had silly children who slow everybody down at meals, so now if that happens I let them all be silly for a bit then I say STOP EVERYBODYTAKE A BITE. Usually when I get the fruit out and start dishing it up into bowls I tell them that they had better finish their lunch or the fruit will go away back in the fridge and that works. I've also stopped the silliness by singing a song with action needed from all the children with their fingers or some drumming for a minute and then STOP TAKE A BITE. It seems to me that as long as they get to have their fun they are happy getting back to the business of the meal. It works for me. If even one child is done while another is still eating the main meal the fruit goes away just as I said it would and they miss out. They learn their lesson that I mean what I say.

[DisneyPrincess]

Yeah in my daycare, it would be ''time-out to relax and think'' after one warning. Yes its fun to have fun but... there is a time and place, and at the table its not it. Its ok to talk to each other but they have to eat because once lunch time is over, I take everything away as well.

I dont like drama, especially when they are so happy but... they have to learn.

Sitting him by himself in the next room or back to the other kids could work as well.

[playfelt]

And this kind of behaviour is why I keep them on lidded cups the whole time they are with me cause one silly movement and we have mess everywhere. Again I know being able to drink out of a regular cup is a skill but they can do that at home. No way am I washing sticky floors after every snack and meal.

[JennJubie]

And this kind of behaviour is why I keep them on lidded cups the whole time they are with me cause one silly movement and we have mess everywhere. Again I know being able to drink out of a regular cup is a skill but they can do that at home. No way am I washing sticky floors after every snack and meal.

I agree. I've had it happen to me. My dd is 3 and can drink out of a big girl cup, but during daycare hours she gets a straw cup.