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SuperNanny Chaos Free Dinner Time Secrets

Ah, the wonderful sounds of dinnertime; crying, complaining, whining and arguing. If you're like most parents, you probably rush through dinnertime. With all the activities that are taking place in both you and your child's life, you hardly have time to make a homemade meal and set the table. However, it's important to have a family dinner night filled with special meals at least once or twice a week.

A Dinnertime Free of Arguments

Those words probably sound like magic to your ears, yet you doubt such an event could ever occur. By following a few of SuperNanny's tricks regarding dinnertime, you'll be well on your way to accomplishing this once, unattainable goal:

  • Don't rush. Dinnertime should never be rushed. Let every child sit down, eat and digest their meal. Dinnertime should be a place to share conversation with the family, not an eating contest. Encourage the use of good manners and proper etiquette when eating food, i.e., children shouldn't be chewing with their mouth open.
  • Explore tastes. Expand your child's tastes by introducing them to new foods. You can do this by having different specialty foods every night of the week. For example, this Thursday is Italian night, while next Thursday is Mexican night. This will not only give your child a chance to explore other cultures, but it will prevent them from becoming a picky eater.
  • Collaborate. In order to avoid whining and complaining about the food being served at dinnertime, both you and your child can agree on the menu. If you have several kids, take turns with each child to come up with a special meal.
  • Healthy Eating - Sneak in the vegetables. Almost every child loves spaghetti with tomato sauce and it's easy to sneak vegetables in this meal. If you don't have time to make your own sauce, buy one that packs in a full serving of vegetables in every half-cup serving size.
  • Encourage conversation. Persuade every family member to go over their day and share some of the memorable moments, good or bad. This will keep everyone updated on current events.

You don't have to dread dinnertime anymore. By utilizing SuperNanny's tips, you'll be able to enjoy a mealtime free of whining and complaining. Remember, dinnertime is an important aspect of family time and it should be valued.