My child won't sit and eat his food at the dinner table!!!
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I was eating lunch with a friend yesterday who told me this very thing. She said she was tired of trying to get him to stay at the table. There are a couple of things you can do to get this to happen. First, tell children two yrs and up when you sit down to eat that they are to remain in their seat during dinner. If they stay in their seat then they can . . . have dessert? go outside to play? get a sticker? - You pick the incentive that will suit them and can be an immediate reward for their good behavior. Then during dinner when they are in fact, sitting in their seat verbally praise them for sitting in their seat. Praise your husband or other child for sitting in their seat also. This is the behavior you want to see happen, and praise is the key for them to know what good things they can do to get your attention.
If they remained in their seat during dinner - give them what you promised. Get out the dessert, lollipop, sticker or whatever. If they didn't stay in their seat, say, "You didn't sit in your seat during dinner - so you do not get ____". It may take them Not earning the reward once to get the idea. Don't give in and give it to them if they didn't earn it. Tell them they will have another chance at the next meal to earn it. As with any new lesson, sometimes failures are the best teacher. Stay strong, and know that it make take a week or two of this in order for results to happen.
If they remained in their seat during dinner - give them what you promised. Get out the dessert, lollipop, sticker or whatever. If they didn't stay in their seat, say, "You didn't sit in your seat during dinner - so you do not get ____". It may take them Not earning the reward once to get the idea. Don't give in and give it to them if they didn't earn it. Tell them they will have another chance at the next meal to earn it. As with any new lesson, sometimes failures are the best teacher. Stay strong, and know that it make take a week or two of this in order for results to happen.
