Screens During Mealtime: Should You Let Your Child Watch While Eating?

One of the most common questions I hear from parents of children with feeding difficulties is:

"Is it okay to use screens during mealtime?"

Many parents tell me, “He only eats when watching his favorite show. If I take the screen away, he won’t eat anything. His weight drops, and he gets sick.”

I completely understand the concern. When a child struggles to eat, parents will do whatever it takes to get food in their stomachs. But before relying on screens as a long-term solution, let’s take a closer look at what’s really happening—and what you can do to encourage healthy, engaged eating habits.

Why Do Kids Eat More with a Screen?

Using a screen during meals acts as a distraction, allowing a child to eat without really paying attention to the experience of eating. It bypasses their natural hunger and fullness cues, meaning they may eat more than they would otherwise—or in some cases, it’s the only way they eat at all.

For some children, especially those with feeding difficulties, sensory sensitivities, or food aversions, eating is a challenging task. Screens can make it easier by taking their focus away from the textures, tastes, or discomfort they associate with food.

But here’s the concern: If a child only eats with a screen, they are not developing the self-regulation skills needed to listen to their own hunger cues. Over time, this can lead to a disrupted relationship with food, making it harder for them to eat in different environments—like school, family gatherings, or restaurants—where screens aren’t available.

Screens during mealtime disrupt a child’s sensory connection to food, which is a key focus of feeding therapy. When watching a screen, children tune out textures, tastes, and hunger cues, making it harder to develop food acceptance, proper chewing, and self-regulation. This can lead to food aversions, over- or undereating, and difficulty transitioning to new foods. Instead, mealtimes should be a sensory-rich experience, where children touch, smell, and engage with food while interacting with caregivers. Reducing screen reliance helps build a stronger, healthier relationship with eating and supports long-term feeding success.

The First Step: Sit with Your Child During Meals

One of the simplest yet most effective changes you can make? Sit with your child while they eat.

Many parents don’t realize that mealtime is about more than just food—it’s about connection. But often, I see parents doing other things during meals:

❌ Preparing the next meal
❌ Cleaning the kitchen
❌ Running errands around the house

I get it—life is busy. But when a child eats alone (even with a screen), they may feel like eating is just another task they have to complete rather than a shared experience.

Instead, when parents sit down with their child, the message becomes:

"Mealtime is about connection, not just eating."

Surprise! Kids Love to Talk More Than They Love Screens

It’s amazing how much kids want to talk when given the chance. I’ve worked with so many families where a child seemed completely dependent on screens—until we made small changes to mealtime routines.

When parents start engaging their child in conversation, children begin to open up:

💬 “Mom, guess what happened at school today?”
💬 “Did you know dinosaurs lived millions of years ago?”
💬 “Can I tell you a joke?”

Suddenly, screens aren’t the main focus anymore—the conversation is.

This shift doesn’t happen overnight, but the more opportunities a child has for real engagement during meals, the less they will rely on passive entertainment.

What If My Child Refuses to Eat Without a Screen?

If your child is heavily dependent on screens for eating, don’t worry—change can happen gradually. Here are a few steps to start:

1️⃣ Sit with them, even if they’re using a screen. Start by simply being present. No pressure, no big changes—just sit and engage when they’re ready.

2️⃣ Introduce conversation while the screen is still on. Try asking simple, open-ended questions: “What was your favorite part of today?” or “If you could be any animal, what would you be?”

3️⃣ Gradually phase out the screen. Start by pausing the screen every few minutes for a short conversation. Over time, extend the screen-free moments until they’re eating without it.

4️⃣ Make mealtime more engaging. If your child struggles with focus, try using fun placemats, favorite utensils, or even playing light music to create a calming mealtime atmosphere.

5️⃣ Be patient. Habits take time to change. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress.

Sitting and Eating with Your Child: The Power of Connection

Sitting with your child during meals builds connection, models healthy eating behaviors, and creates a positive mealtime experience. When parents engage in meals rather than multitasking, children see that eating is about more than just consuming food—it’s about sharing, bonding, and enjoying the experience together. This simple shift fosters better communication, improved food acceptance, and a stronger sense of routine, reducing reliance on screens while reinforcing healthy eating habits through modeling and interaction.

So next mealtime, try sitting down, eating with your child, sharing the food, starting a conversation, and seeing where it leads. You might be surprised how much your child wants to talk, connect, and share—without the screen.