Should I push my son to eat faster?


Elsie's picture

Elsie - Posted on 21 January 2009

I have a slow eater. When I say slow, I mean he is done 15 minutes after other kids his age. Part of me feels like I shouldn't worry about this since it's better for digestion if we eat more slowly. The other part gets frustrated when I'm finished and he's still two bites into his meal. Any thoughts?


Hi Elsie,

I have to confess that I am always the last one still sitting at the table when everyone else has cleared their plates and gone their own way.  Next behind me would be Morgan, but hers is more of a distraction issue than slow eating.

I wouldn't worry about it.  Some people just eat slow.  As long as he is sitting down and eating.  In the case of Morgan she used to have this habit of constantly getting up and sliding under the tables (and sometimes still does!! but usually when she doesn't like what's on the menu) and not eating her meal.  In this scenario it is obviously important to establish discipline at the table.

As for just eating slowly, in most cases this won't have any detrimental impact at all and he will adapt to the necessary situations by natural consequences.  For example at school, they get a set amount of time to finish their meal or snack and then can play for the rest of that time.  By him taking 15 minutes longer to eat he loses that play time, and naturally he will pick up the pace if he wants to play.  Same if you go to a restaurant that has a play option, (unless you're like me and let them play first)  Tongue

He will naturally learn that if he takes all his time to eat he might lose out on play.  Another natural consequence as he gets older would be that should he take so long to eat that all the other dishes are cleaned up (and this could happen) then he has to wash his own dish, or if it is his responsibility to wash dishes that night, the other dishes will be a bit harder to clean from sitting.

He will naturally learn when he can take his sweet time and when he might want to pick up the pace.  No stress on mom and a great self discipline for Aiden!

Mikki Hogan Publisher of UniqueParenting.com

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