Dinner time frustration

[kai_e]

DS1 cannot sit still for dinner time. Even if it something he really likes, he takes a bite, wiggles around, jumps out of his chair. Rinse and repeat through the whole meal.

I will preface by saying that while he is a really active kid, the meal time issue is mostly our fault since we put the TV on and used to let him get up from the table whenever he said "all done". There were a few forces that led up to us just letting it slide. We both WOH and are tired at the end of the day, we eat dinner with our in-laws every night and have for the past 2 1/2 years and used to constantly contradict us. Like if we told DS1 he had to eat more before he got up or had to eat what was on his plate, I would have to deal with both of them looking at me and saying "Aww c'mon, just let him have xxx."

Frustrating! Eventually I was just so tired of constantly arguing and being the bad guy that I would just let it slide and DH took my lead.

DS1's inability to sit still started affecting his pre-school lunch time and we said no more. It has been exhausting but there is now no TV for dinner, he is re-directed back to his chair when he gets up every.single.time. If he is done eating, then he has to wait until we are done as well.

Pre-school and speech let me know that he is doing much better at meal and snack times only having to be re-directed once or twice. Dinner is still frustrating but we got through 20 whole minutes of a meal last night and I just about cried myself silly with joy.

I know it is working, I just need some encouragement to keep it going.