A growing child’s diet and nutrition is always on the mind of the parents and those that care for them. You want them to be healthy and strong and have the energy to learn and play with their friends. At Smart Kids Day Nursery in Peckham, we take great care in ensuring that the meals we serve are always healthy, balanced and nutritious. We know, however, that when they children are at home, mealtimes can be tricky for some. We came across this article on nutritioninbloom.com which gives a few simple tips to relieve any mealtime stress…

1. REMIND YOURSELF IT IS ONLY ONE MEAL
Remember, your child has multiple opportunities every single day to eat, usually 5 or 6 (that includes meals and snacks). Dinner is just one of those opportunities. Some children don’t feel as much hunger at dinnertime because they have had a chance throughout the day to eat – this is all normal.
2. TRUST THAT YOUR CHILD CAN REGULATE THEIR INTAKE
Your child is good at regulating their needs. They know their own hunger and satiety – trust in this. Sometimes at dinnertime my child might eat one bite of their food, other times they might actually not eat anything at all. But I don’t stress. I trust. I take off the pressure.
3. DON’T FOCUS ON YOUR CHILD’S EATING AT THE TABLE
What can you focus on at the dinner table? Play a game – and no, I don’t mean a board game – play I Spy or 20 questions, any type of game (or conversation) that keeps your child engaged.
Talk to your child. Don’t focus on the food – the less you stress about how much they are eating, the less they will stress as well.
4. THINK ABOUT AFTERNOON OR BEDTIME SNACKS
Let’s talk about snacks. Just because we might feel hungriest in the evening doesn’t mean our kids do. They may feel really hungry afternoon after school. Why not make an afternoon snack resemble a dinner? Or if dinnertime seems to be a crazy time for them, offer a bedtime snack.

You can read the full article on nutritioninbloom.com

Find out more about the emphasis we put on diet and nutrition at Smart Kids Day Nursery in Peckham. If you would like your baby or child to attend a nursery which encourages children to eat well and learn about their food, book a visit to our childcare setting today!