Family Style Meals and Snacks Meal Time Best Practices

2 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department You will see two large pieces of paper in the room; one titled “Foods I Like” and the other “Foods I Dislike.” Please take some time to jot down your answers on each paper. Be as specific or as general as necessary. Add a lot or just a few items!

3 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department  Group Discussion: Food Likes and Dislikes  What is Family-Style Dining and Why Implement It: The Benefits to Children AND Staff  Best Practice Implementation of Family-Style Dining

4 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department  Teachers will understand the concept of mealtimes as curriculum.  Teachers will identify the steps needed to transition from restaurant style meal service to family-style meal service.  Teachers will list the benefits of family-style meal service for children.  Teachers will understand the importance of respecting children’s choices about what they eat.

5 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department Let’s face it. All of us have food likes and dislikes. What are YOURS?

6 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department All food is placed on the table in child-size serving bowls with child-size utensils Children are encouraged to serve themselves—with help from their teacher if needed! Milk can be served in small pitchers or in cartons

7 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department Why Bother? Children develop both fine and gross motor skills Children can learn social skills and practice saying please and thank you Children learn many self-help skills It’s a rich social experience

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9 Family-Style Dining is NOT Just About Feeding Children! Children gain Self-reliance Confidence Eye-hand coordination Self-help skills Courtesy Concentration

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11 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department It’s Valuable for Teachers, Too Teachers become role-models of healthy eating and good manners Mealtime is a curriculum time! Teachers can minimize distractions and redirect inappropriate behavior if they occur Teachers build strong social relationships with children

Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department 12 With food placed at the table, teachers don’t have to be servers—unless additional food is needed! This means a teacher’s meal is relaxed, too!

Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department 13 If you have a Smart Board or projection system, please take time now to watch the video entitled “Starting Family-Style Dining: Part I”! You’ll learn a lot! =aRBzCMGzSvs

14 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department 5-Minute Break-Out Session: What do children learn / gain from having their food served restaurant-style / pre-plated?

15 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department Have food and place settings on the table when children sit down Use routine activities (songs, fingerplays) as transitional cues so children know what comes next Waiting until everyone at a table is seated before serving promotes good manners and keeps things calm. It is NOT necessary to require all children to wait until all tables are seated. 1.Follow the SAME routine: Consistency is critical

16 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department Teachers MUST be seated at the table when children begin to pass the food  Help “hand-over-hand,” if necessary, as children learn to serve themselves. Teachers are the MODEL for serving and table manners Seat children who may need extra help next to an adult 2. Adult involvement is KEY

17 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department They are a part of the learning process: anticipate them! Be SUPPORTIVE when they occur Keep paper towels close and offer support as children wipe up spills Have EXTRA serving dishes, utensils and food ready. Children can accidentally contaminate them when as they make mistakes 3. Prepare for Mistakes: They WILL Happen!

18 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department Set up a clean-up area easily accessible to children and out of the flow of traffic. 3. Clean-Up is Part of the Process: Make it Easy!

19 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department Sitting up a quiet area out of the way allows children to eat at their own pace WITH an adult still at the table 4. Have a Quiet Transitional Activity

20 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department 5-Minute Break-Out Session: What pitfalls should we anticipate Implementing Family-Style Dining?

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23 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department Mulligan, S. (January/February, 1998). Mealtime — From Chaos to Calm. Exchange, 119, Parr, J. (April/May, 2005). Family-Style Dining. Exchange, 145, Schweikert, G. (May/June, 2006). Who Needs the Mess? Family-Style Meals. Exchange, 169, Stephens, K. (April/May, 1997). Nutrition: Build Good Eating Habits to Side-Step Picky Eaters. Parenting Exchange, Nutrition and Eating Habits Library 1, # National Food Service Management Institute. (2013). The Basic Guide to Family- Style Dining. August 2013

24 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department All food is placed on the table in child-size serving bowls with child-size utensils Children are encouraged to serve themselves—with help from their teacher if needed! Milk can be served in small pitchers or in cartons

25 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department All food is placed on the table in child-size serving bowls with child-size utensils Children are encouraged to serve themselves—with help from their teacher if needed! Milk can be served in small pitchers or in cartons

26 Phoenix Children's Academy Training Department The training outcomes address the following standards: 3.D.07 of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Performance Criteria (2005), 1, 4a, and 4b of NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation, Initial Licensure Level (2003), B1, B22, F6, F7, and F9 of the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs, National Association of Child Care Professionals (2005),