The Art of Distraction

When your child is losing interest in mealtime and wants to get down off their seat, redirect their attention. Engage with your child at the table. If you consistently make the table a calm and nurturing place, your child will want to be there.

Sometimes a simple diversion can avoid a full-blown freak-out.

Some Simple Tricks

The following little tricks can also come in handy when you’re trying to stretch out the intervals between snacks and dinner. Here are some ways of distracting your baby or toddler:

• Peekaboo – here’s Mummy! Most kids love a surprise and can’t get enough of this game. Ask your child to take a spoon of food and after play peekaboo.
• Eye spy – this is perfect for both toddlers and older children when you use letters. Ask your child to spot something that is a certain colour, say red for example. They will soon forget what they were upset about.
• Funny Faces – stick out your tongue, give a wink or just make a funny noise. It simply grabs your baby’s attention and puts a smile on their face.
• Talk to your child – engage with your child while they eat. Leave adult chats to when your child is in bed.

Follow our Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 5