How to Get a Child to Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, a time when a person breaks her nightly fast, and it's especially important for children to fuel their brains and bodies for school. During the morning rush, however, many families find they are just too busy to prepare for a nutritious start to the day. Follow these ideas on how to get a child to eat breakfast.

Instructions

1. Establish a routine. If you find your child consistently rushing in the morning to get off to school, consider changing her habits. Have your child go to bed earlier so that she can get up early enough to eat breakfast. Likewise, carve out a special time each morning in which your child must sit at the table and eat breakfast.

2. Show your child that breakfast should be valued. Discuss the reasons why breakfast is important and let her know that eating is not an option, but expected.

3. Stock the pantry. Keep breakfast items easily accessible for older children and have an assortment of options so breakfast doesn't become boring. Consider taking your child shopping with you to let her choose between several healthy options.

4. Take advantage of school breakfasts. Many schools offer breakfast to children who do not have time to eat at home, and it is a good idea for those children whose parents must leave for work early in the morning.

5. Be creative. While some children prefer nothing but cold cereal in the morning, for others, lack of variety is dull. Keep frozen waffles on hand or make pancake batter ahead of time. Top yogurt with fruit or blend a nutritious smoothie.

Tips & Warnings

• Research has shown that nearly half of all families do not eat breakfast every morning. For school-aged children, however, breakfast is especially important. Not only is eating breakfast the healthy thing to do, it has been shown to improve test scores, attention spans, school attendance and mood.