Eating habits

How to teach children eating habits

The family dining table is very important. Children not only satisfy their hunger at the dinner table, but also learn self-control, family values, speaking skills, and compliments. We teach our child specific eating habits, including how to use spoons and forks, but in fact, teaching them emphasizes the importance of eating together as a cultural ritual.
Children learn eating habits from their parents. They learn what their parent do, not what they are told. Family dinner should become a habit. If the parents work late and have dinner after the children, it is good to eat fruit and dessert together.
Washing hands before and after meals is one of the most important eating habits. This important issue used to be very common, but now it has unfortunately faded. Washing hands before and after eating is necessary both in terms of health and well-being, and it has been emphasized in the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (as). The Holy Prophet of Islam, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: "Wash your hands before and after meals, which will alleviate poverty and prolong life."
There is no substitute for family reunions. When the child learns the basic rules of eating, he will be ready to eat anywhere. He must observe the following:
• Sit at the dinner table ready and wash your hands before sitting down.
• Place your hand on your knee while sitting.
• If the prayer is said, sit quietly.
• Place the napkin on the thighs. Start eating after everyone has eaten.
• Cut only a few pieces of meat into small pieces and then go back to the rest of the next piece after eating.
• Food should be eaten with the mouth closed and the sound of chewing should not be heard. • Thanks to the host after the meal.

Children learn important social skills at the dinner table. They talk to family members, learn about their place in the family, learn about parental values, and learn to care for others and exercise self-control. At the dinner table, everyone is paying attention to each other.
Moderation in eating is one of the basic principles of a healthy lifestyle in Islam. Everywhere in the Qur'an, extravagance and gluttony have been introduced as disgusting and reprehensible. Imam Ali (AS) has said in this regard: "Eating less makes the soul more cherished and health more stable" and "Whenever God wants to reform his servant, give him three things: talk less, eat less and sleep less. »
Saying "In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate" at the beginning of a meal and praising God at the end of a meal is one of the most important etiquettes I ate. This issue has also been emphasized in Islam.
Chewing food well is one of the important eating habits that if not observed, the digestive system and digestion will have problems and will cause bloating, heartburn, diarrhea and flatulence. The food that we bring to the table to taste should be chewed slowly and soaked in saliva until it is completely soft in the mouth so that it becomes liquid in the mouth. We should try to get used to this because by chewing food well, the gums and teeth will become stronger and impermeable to germs, and the digestive system will also have an easier job. We enjoy eating more when food is chewed properly and slowly. We also get more energy for daily activities and, most importantly, we do not suffer from digestive disorders.

Eat in a calm and cheerful environment and do it calmly and slowly while eating. The importance of this issue is such that according to the order of Imam Reza (AS), the length of time you stay at the dinner table is not considered as part of life .

Compiler and translator:Faeghe Ebrahimpour