Toddler eating in front of the TV

Now is the time to break that habit. It really is not good nutritional practice to eat in front of the television. What tends to occur is a couple of things.

Firstly, the person is so involved in the programme they fail to notice what they are eating or how much. This makes it less likely that they will be responding to their body's cues for hunger and satiety. Someone is apt to overeat without being aware of it because they are not paying attention and are watching the screen instead.

Secondly, just the opposite may occur, particularly for a youngster who has a small appetite. They may forget to eat at all in their distraction. In the long run, it prevents a person from truly enjoying their food and relishing its flavour, colour and texture. They just aren't paying attention to it. Even worse, a child who is eating in front of the television is not involved in social interaction with his family.

Mealtimes are often the only time during the day when the whole family can sit down together and talk. For a young child it is a great place to learn good eating habits because they have the chance to see others eating a variety of foods and so they are more likely to try them. It is where they will learn good eating manners, and it is a place where they will get reinforcement that they are an important part of the family. They learn that because you engage them in conversations about what they are doing or are interested in.

The best way to break the habit is to start slowly, make the alternative just as attractive and perhaps retain one snack time during the day when he can eat in front of the television. For example, this week begin by having the TV off for family dinners.