Dinner time torture

The dinner time table has been getting our of hand.

It seems like recently every meal time I am stressed, shouting and nearly ready to walk out the door.

What on earth is going on!!

The kids say they are hungry at 5pm and when dinner is ready at 6pm they struggle to eat it and they haven't had anything to eat since 3.30pm. I can't understand it. Are they so hungry they aren't hungry anymore? They take nearly 45 minutes then to eat and pick at their food, moving it around the plate like it's on holiday. Little Miss likes to leave the table at least three or four times, forgetting that she should be eating and B seems to find endless amusement in a pen, paperclip or rubber band that happens to be on the table to play with, instead of concentrating on his dinner. Little Miss forgets to use a fork and thinks its okay to use her fingers and B will throw anything he thinks is "disgusting" off his plate onto Little Miss's. But one of the most frustrating things is that once B is finally tucked up in bed he creeps up stairs to announce, "I'm hungry." Let me tell you his declaration is not received very well.

I have always believed that we should eat together every night as a family. It may be wrong, but I also use bribery to encourage my kids to eat their greens. They get a sweet treat, like a banana lolly or chocolate frog, if they eat some of everything on their plates. We also frequently take our kids to cafes so they 'get' the whole table manners thing. And I try to make food fun with silly food faces. But with this kind of carry on I'm considering making two meals each night so that my husband and I can actually enjoy a meal.

Out of sheer frustration I decided we should have some explicit rules for dinner time. I asked the kids what they thought the rules should be and I was completely shocked by their answers.

1. No throwing food
2. No kicking under the table (people or table)
3. No shouting at the table or arguing including 'talk back'
4. No rocking on the chairs
5. No leaving table without a reasonable excuse
6. Use cutlery (unless its finger food)
7. Keep food on your plate and eat off your plate
8. No toys or playing at the table
9. No feet on the table


Now they just need to stick to them.

Food Face #10

Frank and Furt came over after school to play the other day. They didn't hang around long though, but they did make everyone smile.

Food Face #9

We were joined for dinner by this serious man. He seemed worried and the children were highly amused by his nose. B asked me, "How can rice do that?"
"It's all part of the kitchen's trickery" I said.

Food Face #8

Dribbling is something you eventually grow out of.

Food Face #7

This little punk turned up for dinner the other night. He wanted sauce and he wanted it now! But who could refuse those watery eyes. But even with sauce he still did not smile.

Food face #6

I haven't done one of these for a while and B was asking me why his food wasn't in a face anymore. A few nights later the kids were presented with this to eat with bread and sauce...

Food face #5

I think this food face has pretty eyes, a curl in her hair and a lovely big pasta smile. Something is going on with her upper lamb lip though.

Food face #4

Big nose food face made from, carrot, capsicum, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, corn on the cob, baby spinach leaves, rice and steak.

Food face #3

Little Miss's happy dinner the other night got smiles all round. She’s a great eater and gobbled up the bread, cucumber, corn, carrot, red capsicum, broccoli, beans, and chicken schnitzel, in that order. Mayonnaise was also added to help it all go down.

Food face #2

Prepare to get sick of these. But the kids never tire and nor does their creator. Big and little food faces are made from sausage, capsicum, cheese, cucumber, cherry tomato, lettuce, and mayonaise.

Food face #1

I have to find ways of making meals more interesting for my kids and for me to put together. This food face is made from carrot, cheese, snow pea sprouts, snow pea, cucumber, steak, corn on the cob, asparagus and  bread.