Meals can be balanced, stress-free and enjoyable when we follow the Division of Responsibility in Feeding. Watch this four-minute video by non-profit organisation United Way for Southeastern Michigan to learn just how this feeding framework works.
Feeding children is not just a matter of getting food into their stomachs. Rather, every meal is a chance to support their social, emotional and physical health.
But successful mealtimes do not require finicky over-planning. We just need to split roles equitably between adults and children by following the expert-endorsed Division of Responsibility in Feeding model.
Within the framework—developed by dietitian and therapist Ellyn Satter in 1986—adults choose when, where and what is served at each meal. Children are responsible for how much and whether they eat.
If children do not want to eat a part of the meal or even the whole meal, they may politely decline. No pressure.
As children share responsibility for feeding themselves, they develop autonomy and self-regulation skills. They learn to trust their own hunger cues. They eat the right amount to fuel their bodies—naturally.
But that does not mean mealtimes turn into a chaotic free-for-all. There must be a structured feeding schedule (such as breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner) so children do not nibble endlessly.
Outside of these periods, if children ask for more food, they are simply informed—in a matter of fact tone—that food will be available later.
And that is all there is to it. Following the Division of Responsibility in Feeding is doable. Try it out.
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