Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Hi all. I wanted other educators opinions on placemats for mealtimes in the childcare setting.
I know how I feel about them but wondered if I was being unreasonable. I think they take away the children's chance to choose where they sit and the opportunity to build on their sense of agency. I also feel that using placemats for behavioural reasons, like separating a troublesome group, is not an appropriate tactic in dealing with these issues. Shouldn't we then refer to adult child interactions and role modelling and positive reinforcement to guide children's behaviour at mealtimes?
Thanks in advance!
Lozb

You can use placemats and still give the children the opportunity to choose where they sit, why would you put the placemats down for them anyway? Should they not find their placemat and set their own places?

I had my children decorate their placemats (A3 paper) write their names (those that could) and then I just laminated them and they brought out at meal times each child found their mat and went and placed it where they wished to sit. Surprisingly there were not many arguments of who wanted to sit next to who as we discussed that if someone else is sitting next to a friend you want to sit next to maybe you can sit near them or on the same table so you can still talk to them and thats just as good as being next to them.

As for using placemats to deal with behaviour issues I think that is not the appropriate way to deal with the situation. Again regardless of placemats you talk about how we sit at a table, eat and interact. You talk about what behaviour is not appropriate. If they do not exhibit the appropriate behaviour then they are spoken to about it. But yes I have moved children away from tables because they have not listened and have not behaved appropriately.