Eating together as a family from the beginning of weaning, till your kids aren’t so little anymore is incredibly beneficial, but why? Here’s 7 reasons why enjoy mealtimes together with all the family can help raise confident little foodies.
1 – Eating together from day one of weaning helps little ones to learn the simple process and physicality’s of eating – picking up food, bringing it to their mouth, chewing and shallowing. They are watching you and learning from you do.
2- By being exposed to a wide variety of tastes and textures, and watching you enjoying the food, this reduces the possibility of your little one being a little fussy with their meals in the long run, and encourages them to learn to love their food. Exposing them to healthy eating habits is really importing even from a very early age.
3 – When little ones are learning to use cutlery and drinking from an open cup, watching you and mimicking your movements will greatly help your little one to learn these skills much quicker.
4 – When you have a large crowd to cater for, you’re more likely to offer a larger variety of foods, and this is really great when serving to children. The more variety they are offered on a regular basis, the more likely they will have the confidence to try new foods.
5 – Us adults are less likely to neglect our own nutrition, and eat 3 balanced meals a day if you are preparing the same food for little one.
6 – Cooking just one dish per meal not only saves you time but it will save you money and energy too.
7 – And my most favourite benefit of eating together, it’s a lovely bonding time with your loved ones. A moment to take away any other distractions, and enjoy time together. This in term really helps build your little one’s communication and social skills too.