Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I used to have my non-eaters stay at the table too but then one of my ECE/QRIS coaches said that can be considered a form of "confinement" or restraint 
and that instead the child should be allowed to have a choice.
So now the choices offered are sit and watch your friends eat (I always hope that choice will influence them to want to eat too) or the child can choose to not sit but move onto our next activity which is nap.
They are not allowed to play or look at books or anything "fun".
It's sit at the table with the others (eat or don't) OR straight to nap time.
This cracks me up. What the heck happened to manners? It's confinement to teach a child that a meal is a social time as well as a time to eat? It's bad enough most kids grow up in a home where a sit-down meal is almost unheard of. Now, we can't "force" them to sit and just...be?
A lot of that ECER's stuff is just stupid. They aren't supposed to wait. We're supposed to make waiting in line for a couple minutes an "activity" like jumping or singing. Wait until they get to kindergarten, and they can't stand still in line without singing or hopping on one foot.
Sorry, I get a little riled up when some idealist idea of "quality" doesn't match my idea of "quality". They preach respect for culture, but then throw it in the garbage when it doesn't suit their beliefs.