Restless diners

Mealtime fix: Know your child's limits
You can expect a toddler to sit and behave for about five minutes. A 3- or 4-year-old can typically stay put for 10 to 15 minutes, while a 5- or 6-year-old may remain peacefully seated for 15 to 20 minutes. If a child acts up, remove him from the table, Faull says. Let him play quietly on the floor nearby, or put him in his crib or room so everyone else can calmly finish their meal. If your child is over 18 months and still in his high chair, consider moving him to a booster seat at the table so he'll feel more included.

It helps if your child is hungry at mealtime, says Lisa Macan, a Yardley, Pennsylvania, mom of three. "I used to hand the kids a bag of Goldfish every time we got in the car. But they were eating so poorly and were so distracted at dinner that I stopped giving them snacks, except for a yogurt or fruit after their naps."

Finally, keep the young and the restless engaged by involving them in your banter. "Otherwise, they are not going to want to be there," Faull says. "Focus on them at first, since they aren't likely to sit for more than fifteen minutes anyway. After they're excused, you and your partner can talk on your own." (To get your kids chatting, try these conversation starters: "If you could have one superpower, which would you choose?" or "If you could invent one thing, what would it be?")

Lack of enthusiasm

Last week, I called my kids to dinner and Jake called back, "Dinner's boring!" After about seven minutes and two small bites of pizza, he asked to be excused so he could continue playing.

Mealtime fix: Have a little fun
Especially for a younger child, small touches mean all the difference. Serve milk in wineglasses, or light candles. Have a "backward night," with dessert first. Cook breakfast for dinner. Jill Kimball of Orlando makes one dinner weekly a family meeting, which her four children enjoy leading. On these nights, they each jot down a memory on a special place mat. "They've become our family's yearbooks," she says. (She's packaged her ideas as an activity kit, available at FamilyTableTime.com.)

The key to keeping your kids at the table (and having them come back) is to make it pleasant  -- this is not the time to grill them about sibling spats or forgotten chores. Says Moscony, "I really see meals as a time to nurture the body and the family."