#03 - Bringing Fun Back to the Table

In blog (and podcast episode) #02 we talked all about a couple reasons to ditch pressure at the table. Today we are talking all about how bringing fun back to the table helps children with feeding challenges and picky eating. I am a child at heart, which I think is why I’ve always loved working with kids.I love trying new games with them, playing pretend and acting silly.

But there IS a bigger reason that do those things - and it’s not only because I find it enjoyable, but also because it help kids learn. 

I want to start by having you close your eyes and think about what mealtime looks like right now.

Picture yourself cooking dinner, putting it on the table, and what happens when your child arrives. What feelings do you notice around that?

Is it something you feel excited about? Is it something your child feels excited about? Do you laugh and talk about your day? Or is it filled with fighting and is it something you both dread?

Based on the fact that you are here, my guess is that it’s probably the later.

So my question to you is - why would your child want to come to the table, and why would they want to try new foods if it’s not an enjoyable experience for them?

But, DON”T start to spiral on me. If that’s where you are right now, it ok. You CAN change that. And the magical ingredient that helps us do it is FUN.

Yup, you heard me right - today we’re talking about the importance of bringing FUN back to the table.

As you know, my background is as an occupational therapist. And in OT school, they really stress the importance of using fun to help kids learn.

Here’s the thing. Kids main job in life is to play. They learn about their entire world though play. They learn what sand feels like by playing in the sand, they learn how to identify shapes using toys, and they even learn how to dress themselves through dress-up. So why should eating be any different?

There’s a theory called intrinsic motivation. According to this theory humans have an internal drive to do an activity because it’s enjoyable and fun. And this is often known as the BEST source of motivation - more than pressure or rewards. That sounds pretty logical to me. I’m more more likely to read a book I think I would find enjoyable, then the one I was told to read over summer break.

We can apply this SAME theory to the table. Kids are going to be more motivated to try new foods and learn when it’s presented in a way that appears enjoyable or fun to them.

Unfortunately, when a child struggles to eat the table becomes less and less fun - and we switch to trying to motivate them through pressure or rewards. But what if we used this intrinsic motivation and fun instead? Then we could help them learn while having fun and WITHOUT the mealtime battles. 

And this, is magical.

I imagine you might already be thinking - Sam, while this all sounds great in theory I don’t have the time or the energy to focus on the fun. I just want them to eat.

I’m not asking you to go crazy here. Just to shift your perspective a bit. Instead of saying “Lucas (and this is just totally a random name) you must take a bite before getting up. Try - “Lucas, how high can you stack your cucumbers?” Or if your child likes cars - “Lucas how fast can you drive your cucumber car? Can you drive it up to your nose?


And to drive this point home - a research study in 2017 (i’ll link it in the show notes) actually tested whether children were more likely to eat a food when you just use a fun name. And they did! So you could literally start just by naming the food something more fun and different.

Think about what your child finds enjoyable, and consider how you can use it to motivate them to interact with their food that day.

The best part about this is, once your child realizes they can do this at the table - they’ll come up with the ideas for you! And instead of fighting with them at the table, you’re laughing s’more over their fun and silly games as they explore new foods.

I want to hear from you guys - if you try this at home, tag me @DrSamGoldman in your instagram stories, so I can celebrate the fun with you.

I can’t wait to hear how it goes! 😊 

RESEARCH ARTICLE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527653/ 

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