Ellyn Satter, a registered dietitian and family therapist, developed the Division of Responsibilities (DOR) approach to mealtime, which focuses on the separation of the roles and responsibilities of parents and children during mealtime. According to Satter, the DOR approach is a child-centered approach to feeding that emphasizes the importance of autonomy, self-regulation, and respect for children's food preferences.
Parents are responsible for the what, when, and where of meal time, while children are responsible for the whether and how much. The parent chooses what foods to offer, what time to serve foods, and where to present them. The child chooses how much of each food they want to eat at any given sitting, or whether they want to eat it at all.
To elaborate on the Division of Responsibilities, take a look at the list below:
Parent Responsibilities:
Decide on the when, where and what of feeding
Provide regular mealtimes and snacks
Offer a variety of foods, including at least one preferred food at each meal
Take responsibility for the child’s nutrition
Trust the child to be the regulator of how much to eat
Child Responsibilities:
Decide how much to eat from what is offered
Learn to eat when hungry, stop when full
Learn to feed self in whatever manner the family does
The DOR approach emphasizes the importance of autonomy and self-regulation for children during mealtime. It allows them to learn to trust their own internal cues of hunger and fullness, in order to develop a healthy relationship with food. It also encourages parents to respect their child's food preferences and not pressure them to eat certain foods. This approach can help families to create a more positive and relaxed mealtime experience and promote healthy eating habits for children.
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