Eating not only consists on satisfying the physiological needs to achieve physical development, but this is the moment in which you can dialogue, acquire habits, attitudes, develop cultural and social skills, among others. That is why, at school, the dining rooms, schedules, spaces and planning must be adapted, so that children of the first age are stimulated and can appreciate the mealtimes as pleasant periods and of relationships with others.
Infants need to practice, learn new things, help, and collaborate in this moment. When they are very young, little by little they acquire abilities to bite and chew. Also, they require hands to grab food, touching and playing with food is the best way for them to learn and know different things. At the same time, they imitate their close people, so it is important to know which example we are transmitting.
It should be noted that it is not only important that the food provided is healthy to have a healthy development, but that the eating moments should be considered as educational spaces in which the boys and girls talk with their families, their classmates, their teachers, etc., the areas should be quiet and spacious, everyone can participate according to their abilities (setting the table, collecting the dirty plates, helping), and where the opinions and/or tastes of each one are taken into account (choose with whom sit, what to eat and how much to eat, even though all this is supervised by an adult).
Now, it is important to take into account the environment, the presentation of the dishes, the proximity of the silverware or things that are needed, the placement and size of the chairs and tables according to the age of the children. In this way, they don’t need to constantly depend on an adult to get comfortable or to pick up a fork. This is how they can acquire autonomy, in addition to being able to experiment and know their surroundings.
Considering the role of teachers, it is necessary to say that they should see this lunch time as one more educational process that takes place in the school. The person in charge of the dining room must know the students perfectly, in such a way that they know what they like, if they have any allergies, their personal situation, etc., in addition, to be able to talk with their families regularly. It should be said that communication is essential at this time, the adult has to present the food, explain what there is to eat (whether it is meat or fish), what silverware we need and what rules must be done and respected.
References
Geis, A. (2016). La hora del almuerzo en la escuela infantil: Un momento educativo. Aula de Infantil, (87), 9-13. https://bit.ly/3fmjQSc
Guia Infantil (Ed.) (2016). Alimentación para niños de 2 a 3 años. https://bit.ly/3fk2bKZ
Organización Mundial para la Educación Preescolar (Ed.) (s.f). Aprender a comer en la Escuela Infantil. Experiencias Educativas. https://bit.ly/332xCVg
Pequelandia (Ed.) (2017). La alimentación del niño de 1 a 3 años: Consejos para padres. Escuelas Infantiles Privadas. https://bit.ly/2KkO3FU
Authorship
Noelia Puente Revilla y Cristina Vela Castillo, 2020.