I am a therapist, writer and feeding consultant (and mum of three). My specialism is solving picky eating - I work with families, parents and professionals to help give children a great relationship with food.
You know what to feed your child; what I can help you with is how to feed them, making picky eating and stressful mealtimes things of the past.
I normally write about the more extreme end of picky eating, where children have a complex relationship with food and may be genuinely food-anxious. In this article, I’m going to look at the developmentally normal end of the food-rejection spectrum: neophobia.
It's an all too familiar situation; you're trying your best to help your child... meanwhile you've neglected yourself and you end up anxious, tired and stressed. Find out how you can tackle these issues head on and apply my three tips for awesome self-care.
There are many, many factors which can contribute to childhood feeding problems, such as a child’s temperament, problems with chewing or swallowing or physiological problems like digestive issues or allergies.
This post is not directly about picky eating BUT it will be relevant to you if your child finds eating hard. The longer I have worked in the world of feeding, the more I have come to learn that supporting children in ways that don’t seem immediately to do with their eating can be an essential piece of the puzzle.
If your child is a picky eater, you will be no stranger to the idea that the way they eat is ALL YOUR FAULT. You raised them - it must be something you have ‘done wrong’ along the way.
The short answer is that ARFID stands for Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. It is a clinical diagnosis that may be given to children (and adults) whose eating is extremely limited.
The breakfast rut: when we serve the same one or two cereals every day because they are a safe bet and we know they will provide a decent start to the day. Maybe now and then, we ring the changes with a piece of toast and jam. But basically, breakfast is breakfast.
Mindset is everywhere now - the mindset you need to get rich (what did that involve, again??) the right mindset for being productive in the workplace… Usually I am turned right off by these zeitgeisty buzz words but do you know what? I am a huge believer in mindset when it comes to parenting a picky eater.
In this article, I want to explore why children may crave mealtime distractions, why they are problematic and how to move away from them in a supportive and gentle way.
Does your child have what you would describe as a 'difficult temperament'? Are they a picky eater? These two things may be linked.
I adore orchids. I love their seemingly infinite range of colours from delicate greens to garish purples. I love their unique markings which look like they have been painted on by hand. And when they flower, I love how they give their all - sometimes for months on end.
If we are restricting, we are imposing a limit on what a child can eat. For example, perhaps you have a plate of biscuits (cookies) on the table. If you tell a child that they have to stop eating the biscuits because they have had enough, you are restricting their biscuit intake.
Someone asked me the other day, where the line is between varying a child’s safe foods in a small way (an effective approach to helping them feel confident with change) and sneaking in ingredients. It was a thought-provoking question and got me reflecting on the values underpinning my negative feelings about hidden veggies.
Whether your child is an extremely anxious eater or loves to eat a wide range of foods, this week's article has something for you. I explore different ways to bring more variety into your child's diet, wherever they are at.