Parents of Preschoolers  Discussion Forum

my son will turn 4 yrs. old in november. Unlike other children he does not like to watch cartoons.
he likes only cycling or playing with his cars. i want him to sit and watch cartoons and have his food properly but no use ... I sometimes get very angry over him as to why he cannot sit and eat his food properly like many other kids. Pls. give any of your valuable suggestions. thanks momsays replied. Dear Shweta
Its not necessary that you will need your son to see cartoons and eat properly. If you do want him to sit still for a longer time then there are different ways.
1. You can try getting a high chair from market where he will sit and eat

2. If you are feeding him, then you may ask him to paint with non-toxic colors/crayons

3. If he is eating by himself which he should be as he is 4 years old, then you can encourage him to eat his full plate by telling him that you will reward him if he eats his meals properly like allowing him to play with his cycle etc.

4.But if you do want him to watch tv and eat, then you can try showing him different channels like sports/animal channel , he may like them instead.

5. Tv seeing and eating are not good for the health of kids though. as it may lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. ss replied. Hi,
U should be really happy that u;r kid does not have this habit. But while feeding kids cartoon comes as a boon. even my son never used to watch cartoon till i bought him one nursery rhymes cd. Now we have a collection of 5-6 cd's and he watches pogo also. but he is not addicted. Just try this out. Show him something which he is familiar of. Like some stories or rhymes ---- replied. hey shwetha, what sort of a mom u r. surely u must know that watching tv is not good for any kid. be happy that ur son is not one among them. i know feeding kids is a herculean task. make meal time more interesting. u can try giving books to himor u can spin a story of ur own or tell any story u know. i hv a 8 mt old kid & when i was in jt fly, used to take care of my nephew. initially had to run behind him while he used to cycle during feeding, then i made him sit on diningtable & started to tell stories. from them on he wld sit in 1 place 7 eat. don't make the ahbit of watching tv & eating as ultimately it will lead to obesity. surely u don't want a couch potato for a son.
to be frank when i read ur post i was so angry i wanted to blast u. but being a mom myself, i know that feeding can be tedious task. just be more patient.surely a 4 yr old can feed by himself. make him sit with u all for family dinner, so that he will get the idea that food is eaten sitting in dining table unless u r one of those who eat in front of tv!