Most children eat while they watch television. Should the children watch television while eating? Continue reading to find out the side effects of watching tv while eating.
Is your child only eating while watching TV?
Children who are furious eaters can eat if they are able to watch their favorite shows on TV. The distraction makes it easy for parents to feed. It can sadly be a routine, because, without a TV, your child does not want to eat. Children can be weaned off this routine, and while they may be trembling and throwing tantrums at first, they will finally learn to eat without watching TV. If your child is eating just in front of the TV, find out how you can get him rid of this habit.
Image Source – everythreeweekly.com
Side Effects Of Watching TV While Eating
You have to consider the potentials issues because your mealtime involves screen time, too. Here are several problems that can happen if you and your children eat in front of the television.
1. Can Lead to Over-Eating
When children watch TV, they will finally eat even more than they can. Watching TV during meals in many cases has induced unnecessary food. You don’t know how much you eat when watching TV, so you eat a lot more than you should. Obesity in children is increasing and watching TV while eating isn’t an optimal way to feed.
2. Family Cohesiveness
Families who gather at the table and share meals together are a pleasant tradition. It encourages family bonds and helps to feel closer to the family. Memories of dining table discussions will last forever. Many parents in today’s busy world have no time to speak to or spend with children and sharing meals together offers a nice chance to talk.
3.Unhealthy Eating Habits
When kids eat while watching their favorite cartoons on tv or the internet, kids begin to develop poor eating habits. When focusing on the TV, they binge on unhealthy treats, and soon munching on snacks while watching television becomes a routine.
4. Not Chewing Properly
Distracted feeding will also lead to the child not being chewed properly. It can be a choking risk to swallow bits of food that have not been thoroughly chewed up which can even lead to indigestion and even an upset stomach.
5. Lower Metabolism
When you watch television while you feed it decreases the metabolic rate that digests food more slowly and slows the fat. If your kid eats in front of the TV and is not physically involved, his or her metabolism is likely to be poor.
6. Children End Up Eating More Junk Food
Research reveals that when watching tv, kids prefer to eat more fast food. According to the report, when watching TV, the tongue is not content with consuming chocolate, salty and sour foods and the body calls for more. People believe that only when they get a lot of junk food while watching television and food is their stomach full and happy. There is more appetite for fast food when watching TV and sleeping, according to surveys.
Tips for keeping your kid away from the TV while eating
Here are a few tips for avoiding your kid watching TV while eating.
- Make aware that you are not distracted by your Phone, smartphone, or laptop as you attempt to discourage your child from watching TV during meals. Give your kid full focus and keep the gadgets away, so that he knows it’s food and family times and plenty of bonds!
- You can get rid of his habit with the trick we’re about to tell you if your kid is still in the habit of watching TV while eating. The secret is to feed your child if he is starving, but not hungry. Your kid is less likely to throw tantrums or call for his favorite cartoon when he is hungry. You must make sure your snack time is not too close to your mealtimes. If your child is very hungry, whether he has a TV in front of him or not would bother him.
- For your little one, take it slow. You can begin by getting a meal without a TV for five minutes, and then gradually increase the time. If your kid throws a fit and, due to no screen time, does not eat enough at mealtimes, it’s good. Don’t just give up yet. Later, you can always give him a snack, but make sure it’s not done right in front of the TV.
- This will help to break the relationship between eating and TV that your child has developed.
Make sure that as a family you have meals together and that no one watches TV or uses a tablet when eating. Your child will understand by seeing you that mealtimes are for family and that they can not use mobile phones or watch TV when eating. - You should contact a doctor or specialist for support if nothing helps and your kid continues to eat without the television.
Image Source- Pixabay
Stopping your child from watching television while eating can be tough, but it’s not impossible. Don’t encourage this dilemma to become a habit. And if your child still has the habit of watching TV while feeding, then with the aid of the above-mentioned suggestions, wean him off gradually. Know, our lives are really full these days, and meals are the one way we can actually spend time with our loved ones and interact with them. So make sure that you and your child enjoy your mealtimes without TV and toys together. A family dining together, joking together, remaining together!
Also Read: What Are The Effects Of Force-Feeding Kids?
