More often than not, the main obstacle to adding new foods to a child’s diet is not related to how the food tastes, what the child’s chewing skills look like, or what flavor preferences the child has. The main obstacle is that as soon as the mere idea of a new food is presented, kids immediately go into “NO” mode. Every so often, you may entice your child to examine the food in question or even pick it up...but that’s as far as they’re going to take it. Many times, the offend

As a Feeding Therapist, I find myself having a good deal of food-related conversations with my friends or acquaintances that I meet. After all, feeding kids can be one of the most frustrating tasks that a parent faces, and sometimes a good commiseration sesh is in order! I’ve seen pretty much every imaginable mealtime challenge, so when my friends vent to me about their various feeding grievances, I can usually provide a suggestion in addition to a sympathetic ear. Most of th

How do you approach family gatherings with a child who doesn’t like to eat? I think that most parents can agree that while the holidays bring excitement and comforting traditions, they also present their own unique challenges. Many parental concerns involve finding the shortest line for a photo with Santa or convincing their two-year-old to wear a wool reindeer sweater long enough to have One. Decent. Picture. taken. Parents of picky eaters often have a special kind of holid

“You will sit right there until your meatloaf is gone, young lady!” (3 hours later, the meatloaf, and the child, are still sitting at the table). “Ok, corn dog for Lucas, PB&J for Emily, and cobb salad for the rest of us!” (By the time Mom or Dad is done with food prep and sits down to eat, the rest of the family members are already finishing up their meals). It seems like when it comes to dinner time, parents fall into two camps: The Iron Fists and The Short Order Cooks (or