Originally Posted by Leigh:
I have the kids sit at the table until everyone is done for two reasons:
1. Good manners
2. If one child leaves to play, the other kids tend to follow even if they aren't done eating. If they all sit together to finish the meal, even the kids who initially wouldn't eat anything might pick at their meal or even eat a good part of it. I WANT them to eat it because I want to instill good eating habits and want them to learn to like vegetables and other things that they might not eat at home (I have one parent who doesn't buy ANY vegetables for their home because none of the 5 members of their family will eat them-he DOES eat them here, especially broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans).
This plus I would not be able to supervise her properly and we go outside after lunch.