There are times when are kids are just not hungry for dinner. If we’re sure they’re just not trying to get out of eating something new (our rule is they have to try one bite of what’s on their plate), then we invite them to stay at the table to enjoy each other’s company.

If they’d rather get down, we don’t allow them to play but instead they must sit quietly on the couch until most of the family is finished eating. This is a relatively new rule, but we instituted it with the hopes of preserving family mealtime and so far it’s working.