Mealtimes in early childhood settings involve far more than serving food. Children bring sensory preferences, emotions, family traditions, developmental needs, hunger, autonomy, and past experiences to the table. In this two-hour self-paced course, educators learn to interpret food refusal and mealtime behavior with greater curiosity, distinguish adult practices that support or undermine responsive feeding, protect cultural dignity, and create predictable, relationship-centered routines. Participants also examine communication between classroom and kitchen staff and identify realistic changes that support calmer, more meaningful meals.gfully and belong.

Upon successful completion of the course, including the required instructor feedback component, learners will receive a certificate to upload to MERIT. Course rosters are submitted to MERIT by the instructor at the end of each month. Please allow 2–3 business days for certificate processing. Need your certificate sooner? Email us, and we’ll do our best to expedite it.