A Treasury of Child-Rearing Advice

公益財団法人仙台観光国際協会 Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association.

Material Compilation: Sendai City Ayashi Nursery, Ochiai Nursery, Kumagane Nursery
Material Provision: Nursery Section, Children’s Future Bureau, City of Sendai
Editing and Translation: Sendai International Relations Association

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HOMEAge 4 > Children’s Meals (4-5 years)

Age 4

Children’s Meals (4-5 years)

Children are interested in eating and the connection between food and their bodies.
It’s good to connect children’s motivation to eat with their natural curiosity.

★It’s fun to eat together!


Yum. Let’s eat!

Sit at the dinner table with your child and eat in an enjoyable atmosphere.

  • Praise your child for eating even one bite of a food she doesn’t like.
  • Let your child see adults enjoying their food.

★Establish daily routines

  • Your child should go to bed early, wake up early, and eat three meals a day.
  • Make sure your child gets plenty of exercise during the day so she is hungry at mealtime.

★Teach manners

  • Teach your child the correct way to hold chopsticks.
  • Teach your child to eat a little bit of one dish, then a little bit of another.
    Say grace together.

★Mealtime

  • Aim for mealtime to last about 30 minutes.
    After that, if your child starts to play, it’s okay to clean up.

★Concentrate on eating

  • If the T.V. is on or there are toys nearby during mealtime, your child won’t be able to concentrate on eating.
    Teach your child to make conversation during mealtime.

★Let your child help with simple meal-preparation tasks to get her interested in meals.

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