Making Mealtimes Manageable!

Do you find yourself chasing your child around to get them to eat? Are they eating in the bathtub? In bed at the end of the day (this was me and my daughter!!)? Is everyone stressed out about breakfast?

If your child is reluctant to eat when it’s mealtime or refuses developmentally appropriate foods there are some things you can do to help:

Make sure she is starting from a good place. Reduce any anxiety by getting in some heavy work (pushing a basket of toys down the hallway or marching up and down the stairs singing a song) or deep breathing (bubble blowing!).

Address any difficulties with positioning when sitting at the table. If your child is struggling to stay upright (sliding down in her seat) and/or her feet are dangling, she may be reluctant to focus on eating. Use a footrest, a stool or even a box under her chair so she can steady her feet. Place a wedge behind her back to bring her closer to the table. The goal for positioning is to achieve a 90 degrees at the hips, 90 degrees at the knees and 90 degrees at the ankles.
Model the behaviors you want to see.

Present foods in age-appropriate amounts and in age-appropriate sized pieces. Children sometimes need repeated exposure to new foods before they will eat. Allow them to experience the smell, feel, and taste without the pressure to eat the food. If possible, serve meals family style with something for everyone so your picky eater can learn by watching family members eat new foods.
Involve your child in as much of the food preparation as possible. Talk and learn about the foods you will eat.
Positive Reinforcement! Verbal praise in the appropriate amounts works best. Your child receives social reinforcement when you share mealtime, and learns about new foods when you talk about how foods look, smell, and taste.
Turn off the screens so you can focus on learning about food and enjoy your time together!
If you think your child has delays or difficulties that need a professional look, feel free to contact me for an assessment.
Sit with your child at mealtimes. Is it yummy? Then smile and reinforce the yumminess! Talk about the foods colors, textures, flavors, etc. Use positive language. Eating is learned through social modeling.