Dear parents with picky eaters,
Are your mealtimes and/or is the presentation of new foods a source of stress and anxiety in your house? If yes, it may be time to redefine how you think about the steps to eating. For healthy/non-picky eaters “try it” (meaning take a bite, chew and swallow) may seem like a very small and easy step. However, for children with feeding difficulties, this step may be too big and overwhelming. Children with feeding difficulties this may cause mealtime behaviors such as:
Children who are picky eaters like to try foods at their own pace- and as the adults in their lives, we can learn to support them.
Check out these feeding tips from Mealtime Notions LLC for ideas to explore new foods, textures and tastes with a new approach and less stress.
http://mealtimenotions.com/cautious-eaters-everything-is-a-grasshopper/
http://mealtimenotions.com/cautious-eaters-re-define-try-it/
Talk to a Fiesta occupational therapist or speech therapist if you think your child has possible feeding difficulties!