My child used to sit for meals and now wants to walk around after two bites. Chasing with a bowl is becoming the default and I do not want that habit to grow. What practical changes worked in your house without turning meals into a fight? I would especially value recent experiences from the last one or two academic years.
A visual routine with two or three pictures worked surprisingly well at this age. The child liked knowing what came next. We changed our approach after about a month because the first plan was too hard to sustain. Keeping the change small made it easier for our child. We only reached that conclusion after trying the other approach first.
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This is close to what my spouse is suggesting too. I may have been overcomplicating it. We had to repeat the same boundary many times before it clicked. In our house, the practical routine mattered more than the ideal plan.
Can I ask roughly what age/class your child was when you tried this? The daycare and home using the same language helped us. Your child's response may be different, but this was our experience.
Did your child take time to adjust, or was the improvement fairly quick? The first few days were definitely messier than the later ones. Your child's response may be different, but this was our experience.
A visual routine with two or three pictures worked surprisingly well at this age. The child liked knowing what came next. We changed our approach after about a month because the first plan was too hard to sustain. The first few days were definitely messier than the later ones. We made the change gradually rather than all at once.
Thank you. I like that this does not require changing everything at once. We had to repeat the same boundary many times before it clicked. I would still test it for a short period before making a long commitment.
That makes sense. I think consistency is the part we are currently missing. The daycare and home using the same language helped us. We are in Chennai, so local logistics may be a little different.