Turn The Tables

Does your tiny tot purposefully drop his spoon, or, finger-paint with his mashed potato? Well, we tell you how to change the situation and inculcate good table manners in your child.

- Deepika Nandal

WHILE it is tough to rationalize your toddler’s messy behaviour at the dining table, it is wise to understand that playing with food is a normal and quite healthy developmental milestone for a child of this age. According to experts in the field, there is actually a developmental milestone that encourages toddlers to treat their food as their favourite toy. At about one year, infants enjoy eating by utilizing their newly developed ability to use their thumb and forefinger to pick up those tiny morsels of food.

However, there is no denying that it is important to get your toddler to behave well while eating and the best way to teach him is leading by example. “First, parents themselves should adopt the right way to eat and create the right environment around them,” says Angelina Francet Murray of Cradle to Table, a preschool in Bengaluru. “Children observe and learn faster. Initially they can take time, but soon, they learn to adapt,” adds Murray. Here are the top meal etiquette rules that you need to set.