So we changed strategies. We let her run around, play, whatever she wants essentially, except she can't touch my piano while she's eating regardless if she's touched food with her hands or not. And the results are pretty drastic. Meals in the high chair would last 1-2 hours because it took forever for her to sit still and finish her food. Free-range meals would be done in 30 minutes to an hour depending on which meal it was. Everyone was overall more pleased with the situation.
Why wouldn't they be? We all want our free-range chicken. It's more humane. The chickens are happier and healthier. And the meat tastes better. Not that we're going to eat our children (we are NOT eating our children), but letting her run around freely while eating has led to more successful meals in our house.
Apparently, more of my mom friends have been allowing their children to do this. I clearly missed the memo as I thought kids should eat in their high chairs and then be freed when they finished. Maybe this is why my childhood was "unhappy" and I had negative food associations for a very long time. That's another story.
So now we let her roam around the house while she eats. We let her play outside in a tent or sit in her jeep. We let her sit on the stools at the counter. We let her sit in her learning tower and eat. It's fun, she's happier during meal times, and I think she actually eats more.
My free-range child 💕 |
Anyone else out there raising free-range children? 😃
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