Family meals and behavioral development: The role of feeding strategies and mealtime emotional climate.

This study explores the associations between consistent family mealtime schedules, parental and child control of food intake at 24 months, and children’s internalizing and externalizing (EXT) symptoms at 36 months. Data were drawn from an observational cohort of 300 parent–child dyads, with analyses conducted on 270 families for whom complete data were available. Using both observational assessments and caregiver reports, we examined whether mealtime consistency and feeding strategies predicted internalizing and EXT symptoms, with the family’s emotional climate during mealtimes as a potential moderator. Internalizing and EXT symptoms were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and family climate was coded from videos of family meals in the child’s home at 24 months. Linear regression analyses, adjusting for gestational age, maternal education, race, and income, revealed that consistent family mealtime schedules were inversely associated with EXT symptoms at 36 months (β = −0.27, p < .05). Consistent mealtime schedules predicted lower EXT symptoms when mealtime emotional climate was high-quality (β = −0.58, p = .0003) but not when it was low-quality (β = 0.10, p = .56). These findings suggest that structured mealtime schedules, combined with warm, positive family interactions, may foster emotional security and support behavioral regulation in early childhood. Given the scarcity of observational studies on home mealtime environments, this study provides valuable insights into how family meals influence child behavior.