Picky Eaters: Tips to Decrease Mealtime Stress
January 13, 2022
Janna Lopez, MS, OTR/L
If you’ve ever eaten a meal with a child, you know that it can be a very stressful time. Picky eating is something that many kids struggle with, but there’s a point where it can become problem feeding. Problem feeding is persistent, and the stress response when offered a new food can be much larger.
Tips & Tricks
If mealtimes are stressful for your family, try these tips to decrease stress:
- Establish a positive and fun transition into mealtime. This can be singing a song, setting the table, or washing hands.
- Talk about your food! Model positive interactions with food so that your child can see your own relationship with food.
- Give your kiddo choices at mealtime, and always include preferred foods when offering non-preferred or new foods.
- If it is age-appropriate, include the child in preparation of meals. This can help increase their comfort level with food and give them positive interactions with you!
- Eat together as a family. As children, we learn a lot from our family and watching them eat is a great way to learn skills.
If you have concerns about your child’s eating habits or difficulties, please visit our website or give us a call at (859) 353-3666 to learn about how we can help. We have Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists who are trained in feeding therapy and would love to help you and your family!
Coloring is more than just a fun activity, it is a powerful tool therapists use to help children build important developmental skills while keeping therapy engaging and playful. Coloring can support communication, movement, coordination, focus, and creativity all at the same time. Best of all, children often do not even realize how much they are learning because they are having fun! We recently hosted a coloring contest in our clinics, and the kiddos had so much fun showing their creativity! At the end of this post, we've included two coloring page designs that you can download, print, and color at home or on the go!
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