Chances are, if you're a parent, mealtimes are sometimes the most stressful part of your day.

From figuring out what to cook (and pleasing fussy eaters), to no one sitting still or everyone talking at once, it can often feel less like fun and more like a battle.

But it doesn’t have to be. We asked the people in the know – other mums and dads – for their tried-and-tested ways of making your kid’s teatime a plate-clearing success.

1. Make it themed

Do your kids complain they’re bored of the same old meals? Then take them on a food trip round the world from the comfort of your kitchen table.

Mexican, Thai, British … try out recipes from different countries and introduce your kids to new tastes and flavours. 

Up the fun factor by dressing up or making accessories: fold up paper fans for Chinese night or draw Stars and Stripes flags for American night.

2. Pick a playlist

Does everyone talk over each other at the dinner table? Create a family playlist so your kids can sing along to their favourite tunes instead.

Get everyone to pick a song they like and then play them during breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a lovely way to have a family singalong (and stops any rows about who is interrupting who!)

3. Make food look fun

It’s a given that the meal you’ve made is TOTALLY delicious. But persuading fussy little eaters to tuck in is another matter entirely.

One pro parent tip is getting creative and making your kids meals look super fun. One easy way to do this is with Fry’s Stars and Moons. Perfect for teatime, the vegan chicken style pieces are a tasty meat-free swap for chicken nuggets. And the cute moon and star shapes are guaranteed to make mealtimes fun. 

There's even a cute story on the pack about Charlie the chicken which you can read to your kids, or cut out the rocket on the box for outer space fun.

Fry's all-new Stars and Moons are a source of fibre and protein and take just 10 minutes to cook, meaning you’re also dodging your kid’s pre-tea hanger. Result!

Pick up your pack from Iceland or The Food Warehouse.

4. Have 'brinner' (breakfast for dinner)

Life as a parent is busy. And on days where everyone's got lots of clubs and classes, there isn't much time to cook.

Take the pressure off by giving your kids brinner – breakfast for dinner. Cereal, toast, dippy eggs: anything that’s nutritious and quick to prepare goes.

Your kids will love the fact you're mixing up meals and will clear their plates without any fuss.

5. Let your kids pick a meal

Okay so you don’t want your kids having pizza every night of the week. But letting them choose one meal a week is a parent-recommended way of making teatime easier.

Set some ground rules ( ie: it can’t be cake or chocolate) and then leave it up to your child to decide what they’d like. They might surprise you with their choice!

To get them even more involved they can help you order the ingredients in your weekly shop. This is one meal each week they are guaranteed to finish, no complaints. 

6. Pack it to go

Summer is (finally) on its way which means dinner times don’t have to be inside. On the days the sun is shining, pack your family tea up and head to your garden or local park.

Everything tastes better eaten al fresco and it’s a lovely way to make the most of the great outdoors. All you need is a rug and some containers for your food.

It doesn’t just have to be sandwiches: pasta, rice or Fry’s Stars and Moons can all be cooked at home and then packed up for your family tea on-the-go.

7. Keep it short

Kids won’t sit still at the dinner table? After a day at nursery or school, sitting down is probably the last thing they want to do.

One of our favourite pro parent tips is keeping mealtimes short and sweet. While it’s lovely to have a catch up with your kids about their day, teatime is not always the best time to do it.

With less time at the table, they’ll be more focused on eating (and less on whining!).

8. Ditch the devices

Going screen-free is another tried-and-tested tip for putting the fun back into mealtimes. 

Warning: your kids will probably (okay, definitely) complain to start with. But ditching the phones/ TV/ tablets while you all eat together means you’ll have time to chat. 

9. Get your kids in the kitchen

Fed up of the kids turning their noses up at what you’ve cooked? Get them involved in the prep and cooking.

They’re far more likely to eat something if they’ve spent time and effort making it. If you have room in your garden or a window box you could also get them planting and growing their own veg.

Who knows, they could be the next top chef and cook for you when they're older. Yum.