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| Liam buttering his purple potato. |
We begin each of our meals at Sego Lily Children's Garden with our own special blessing:
We thank the water, earth and airFor all the helping powers they bear.
We thank the people, loving and good
Who grow and cook our daily food.
And, now at last, we thank the sun
The light and life of everyone.
We recite this blessing as a beeswax candle is lit and then we proceed with each child having a chance to blow out the (continually relit) burning match, as a symbol of our unity. The last child to finish his or her meal is the one who extinguishes the candle at the meal's end.
Simple ceremonies can help to keep a child more interested in their meal, encourage them to eat more slowly, and help create community around the dining table.
Beside serving simple and nutritious food at Sego Lily, we also work to make sure there are a variety of colors, smells, textures and tastes in the meals that are served. A homemade (with help from the students) golden biscuit served with cottage cheese, fresh pineapple and clementines makes a delicious snack.
It also helps the child to have a beautiful table setting that varies often. We sometimes serve foods with unusual utensils in order to help keep the children engaged in their meal as well.
Dining is a physical activity and also a soul and spiritual activity. We work to nourish all parts of the young child's body.
