Creating a Healthy and Safe Eating
Environment

Topics covered in this course include:

Let's Get Physical: Highlights information to help the children feel more at home, learn manners, and increase their coordination. There are a lot of helpful tips to help the childcare professional feel less stressed about clean up and activities to help keep the children busy doing something productive and fun.

Make Mealtimes Positive: This topic has a list of many helpful hints on eating that can help both the child and the professional. It also lists some things that parents and adults do that can have negative effects on eating habits and the eating environment. Being positive can have an effect on their attitude and behavior about eating.

Yuck or Yummy?: Children often want to eat what they like and have already eaten before. They are often unwilling to try new foods. In this topic, it touches on what you can do to get them to taste new things. There are many activities that are available and interesting to the child so that they can learn about what they are eating.

It's in the Timing: Highlights how to get the children ready to eat and how to involve them in preparing to eat. Quiet games or activites like coloring or reading can settle them down so eating can be more enjoyable. Meals and snacks at certain times during the day or between meals are beneficial to the child, for they use up a lot of energy. Knowing when and why is discussed in this topic.

Cooking Activities for Children: Involving the children can be a great idea. They can learn new words and how to follow directions. In this topic there is a list of things to do that can be both beneficial and fun for both the child and caretaker.

Making A Mess: As they grow, children want to be older and be their own person. They try new things. Accidents can happen, and when they do, don't punish them. Some helpful hints can make everyone happy.

Pressure and Persuasion: Pressure is not always a good thing. Forcing them to eat something that they don't want to can discourage them and have a negative effect. Appetite depends on a lot of different factors. Tips on feeding your child can be found in this topic.