Sit down with them
Standing at the counter while they eat makes the meal feel like a task you are supervising. Sit, even for ten minutes.
Company matters more than a speech
Your company matters more than a speech about the food. Eat something yourself if you can.
Ten minutes in the chair next to them changes the meal more than a better recipe.
What sitting looks like
Phone face down. A bite of the same food on your plate. A comment about the day, not about the peas.
If you must get up, come back. The meal is short. You can survive ten minutes.
Safety is part of sitting
You are also there to see them chew. That matters most with foods that are easy to choke on.
If a meal only works when you stand and spoon it in, and it often ends in distress, talk to your child’s doctor.
A sentence you can say
“I’m sitting with you.”