Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/enjoying-family-style-meals-in-child-care/5011540/
Mealtime can be a hectic time of the day, but it can also be a prime time to take advantage of natural learning opportunities for children and to incorporate developmental challenges into existing routines. Offering meals and snacks "family-style" is an excellent way to make mealtime feel more relaxed and provide support to help children learn new skills.Picture a holiday meal with family and friends gathered at the table. The meal is a pleasant occasion filled with conversation, laughter, and shared information in a relaxed, enjoyable setting. A meal in an early childhood program resembles this kind of pleasant, social occasion when it is served the same way - family-style. In family-style meals, you sit at the table, eat with the children, and serve them (or allow them to serve themselves) from dishes at the table. Mealtime provides an opportunity to talk with the children about events of the day (not just the food). Developmental skills and social behaviors that occur naturally at mealtime are modeled and reinforced.
In contrast to cafeteria-style meals - where each child is handed a full plate and seconds are offered by attending adults - it may seem unfamiliar or even uncomfortable to imagine eating with the ...