As a parent, have you ever thought to yourself “I wish there were some practical tools out there to help me feed my kids!”? Look no further! I will show you my top 4 favorites that are on the walls and in my cabinets at my therapy clinic!

1. Today I Ate a Rainbow Kit

I coach parents to teach their children about fruits & vegetables rather than to “force” or “sneak-in” fruits & veggies. To facilitate this learning process, I highly recommend this interactive product called Today I Ate a Rainbow.

I use the Rainbow chart in a variety of different ways at my feeding clinic, but here are a few examples. For my kids with mild aversions to fruits and vegetables I use the chart as a fun way for them to have control over what will go on their plate and in their belly! For children with moderate aversions to fruits and veggies, I utilize the chart to celebrate their curiosity of taking a bite! A magnet on the chart is happily represented by any bite size or attempt.

For my clients with severe aversions to fruits and vegetables, I use the chart to encourage them to smell or hold a piece of produce. The magnets are utilized as visual cues to decrease their anxiety and boost their confidence of overcoming their food fears. I am always surprised by the charm of this chart, when these kiddos slowly become more comfortable with produce and suddenly take a bite!

I even use it with my kids who are tube-fed (being nourished by a tube surgically inserted in their stomach). I incorporate the chart, as a way for them to choose which colored foods will be blended into their tube feeding!

The kit also includes other tools: magnets that are vibrant in color and come in a variety of shapes that are easy for little hands to manipulate, a color-coded grocery list that encourages children to be more involved in food buying decisions, a book called The Rainbow Bunch which features a rhyming story that portrays the effects of not eating colorful produce as well as emphasizing the benefits of eating fruit and veggies on a daily basis, and a bookmark to remind kids to eat well while encouraging reading. Using these tools your child can be rainbow kid too!

Today I Ate a Rainbow.com

2. Maroon Spoons

These maroon colored spoons help children with feeding challenges such as poor lip closure, tongue thrusting and oral hypersensitivity. They fit effortlessly into a child’s mouth, which makes it easier for them to remove the food from the shallow bowl of the spoon. They are lightweight, so kids can be more independent in feeding themselves for longer periods of time without fatigue. The food slides off the spoon without difficulty, which makes less of a mess and helps the child feel more successful! I love my maroon spoons!

TalkTools.com – Maroon-Spoon Set

3. Copy-Kids Video

This DVD is a must when trying to introduce a new fruit or a vegetable. I love the fact that you can select what color of food you want to learn about!

Once you have chosen your produce, have that fruit or veggie ready so you can watch your child not only engage with the video but with the new food too! This innovative tool is geared for parents to help encourage healthy eating in their children. But my clients ASK to watch a section of the DVD! Better yet, they ASK their parents to make sure they buy more produce when they go to the store!

I personally utilize this video as a therapy tool to promote positive feelings about fruits and veggies. You can’t help but laugh and smile at these little ones exploring and performing food play! Most of my client’s have been forced to try foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Thus, they associate negative emotions with these foods. This video changes their attitude towards eating, allows them to become willing to at least try, and gradually become- a copy kid!

Copy-Kids.com

4. Flexi-Cut Cup

This cup has one side of it cut out, to allow room for the child’s cute little nose to fit into the cup. That’s why I personally call this a nosey-cup!  I adore this cup for beginning drinkers because the smallest cup only holds 1 oz (there are 3 sizes), which is a perfect size if spilling occurs. I also like that this cup is semitransparent so I can see how much liquid is consumed with each sip, and provide verbal feedback to the child. The cup is also flexible and easy for little hands to manipulate and use.

But most of all, I use this cup because it keeps the child’s head in a safe position for drinking and reducing the risk of liquids going into their little lungs! If a child tilt’s their head back while drinking, it opens up their airway and we don’t want that! This cup facilitated drinking without head extension and keeps our little ones safe while exploring liquids! I use my nosey cups in almost every feeding therapy session!

Amazon.com – Flexi-Cut-Cups

I hope these amazing products will be a good resource for you and your family as they are for me, and the hundreds of children I lovingly serve. Feeding is suppose to be fun and these products help increase safety, education and amusement for all! Do you have experience with one of these awesome products? Please share!

Happy Feeding!

Have eating fears? Don’t worry super dog is here! (The image has not been altered; this picture was taken while en route to rescue a picky eater.)

Meet Abby, my amazing blue heeler! My clients and mother-in-law call her, a “healer”. Abby is a working dog by breed and she is definitely a working dog at my clinic. She literally “will work for food”. ☺ Let me tell you a few ways Abby assists my pediatric clients with feeding challenges:

1. Teaching Crunching

Abby teaches my clients how to use their back molars for eating and chewing foods. Some of my picky eaters will only nibble on foods with their front teeth instead of properly placing larger pieces of food in their mouths and using a rotary chewing pattern. When we are trying to learn about a new food, we share that food with Abby so that she can help teach the art of crunching! I’ll say: “Okay, Abby you can have this carrot, please use your back teeth-I want to hear loud crunching, Abby!” Of course, Abby is happy to oblige. She is a fabulous cruncher! The kids LOVE it! And they enthusiastically model it!

2. Teaching Licking

Abby encourages our kiddos to lick foods. Some of my clients do not have the best coordination of their tongue, which complicates their eating and limits their food selection. Abby is happy to demonstrate licking from a spoon, from an ice cream cone or even from a cute little finger! This is fantastic help because a lot of my kids are afraid of utensils, fearful of cold foods and won’t allow food on their fingers or hands. They love feeding Abby and slowly they learn that a spoon is not so scary, ice cream is yummy and foods on fingers feel weird but fun!

3. Trying New Foods

Abby is ever so willing to try new foods. Kids will ask me: “My mom brought bell peppers today for me to try. Can you ask Abby if she likes bell peppers?” Of course I ask Abby, and she barks “yes!” and off we go on our bell pepper exploration!

Abby also texts! Yes, she sure does! It started with a mom texting me from a restaurant asking me if Abby could help her son who was having a meltdown at a restaurant and wanted Abby. Of course, Abby put on her red cape (yes, we are those type of dog-people that play dress up) and was off to the rescue! After a minute of “talking” with Abby through a video chat, he sat calmly and ate pizza for the first time! Amazing right?! After that, Abby started sending texts to kids who were trying a new food. For example, she has sent a picture of her next to a board that reads: “I love tacos too!” The parents later told me their child ate tacos for the first time after seeing that message from Abby. My clients adore getting texts and pictures from Abby supporting their efforts in trying new foods!

4. Teaching Trust

At times, my clients need a dose of courage or some extra motivation during the therapy session. Abby is there to do tricks and even sit in the chair next to them to encourage them to stay at the table just a little bit longer. Sometimes a child just needs a hug or a high five. Abby is happy to do both… for a treat of course!

Abby has even attended birthday parties for some of my clients. Having a party with foods they are nervous about can make a child feel worried. Abby has been there to rescue kids from being anxious about eating their special birthday cake. She has even taught the whole party how to lick frosting off of the cake! Are there ways that you use your family pet to help encourage your picky eater?

Happy Feeding!

Stress, panic and fear…the holidays are here! The next two months are usually the most stressful for parents of children with picky eating habits. Tensions are oftentimes high during this season and dining in the homes of extended family members can make a parent feel like they have to hover over their child’s every move just to keep the holidays… well… happy! Here are four ideas to help you enjoy your festive meal with your family and prevent a mealtime meltdown:

1. Social Story

Kids love a good story, especially when it is about them! So when you’re preparing your child for Thanksgiving dinner, make a social story about how the meal came to be. What family recipes were used? What family traditions were involved? Who is chosen to carve the turkey? What is the story behind the china they are going to eat off of? Take pictures, include their name throughout the story, print it out and read it often. You can even make it funny and talk about a holiday blooper from a previous year!

These types of stories support the social and emotional issues surrounding the food served which may facilitate a new thought process for a picky eater. Sweet potatoes might have been rejected initially, but a story about it being grandma’s secret recipe and mommy’s favorite food when she was a little girl might encourage a bite… or two!

2. Setting the stage

Once you have made your holiday plans start setting the stage for success! If you are going to grandma’s house and there isn’t enough room at the main dinner table for kids, start practicing with your child eating at the “kids table”. At your Aunt Betty’s and she expects all the kids to eat off china plates? Then start practicing by eating off of “special plates”. Will there be eating by candlelight? Practice with that! Recreate the scenario your child will be experiencing in order to make them feel comfortable and willing to eat in a new environment.

3. Sous Chef

We know that children are much more likely to try a food if they have helped prepare it. When they have a vested interest in the meal it can increase their desire to partake in all the food festivities! Going to your in-laws? Ask if you can bring the salad or dessert that you and little Sally made!

4. Statements

It can be stressful when well-meaning family members, who only see your kids once a year, make judgmental comments. “Billy STILL isn’t eating green beans?” “If Johnny came to live with me for a week, I would have him eating.” Statements like these can be hurtful to you and may negatively impact your child. Come prepared with a response to these types of statements.  Make sure the responses are delivered in a calm, educating voice.

“I am glad that you are bringing this up. Billy was very nervous about coming today. So can you help him by not mentioning his pickiness and honoring his efforts to at least try?”

Or:

“Actually, Johnny has a feeding disorder and we are working hard in therapy to encourage him to try new foods. We would love your support this weekend in making him feel relaxed about eating.”

Planning ahead can allow you to feel more confident and help keep you in the mindset of nourishing your child’s emotional needs as well as their nutritional needs during holiday meals.  What are some ideas you use to prepare your child for holiday meals? How have you handled negative comments about your child’s picky eating?

Happy Feeding!

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You lie in wait for your child’s reaction. She sees the new food on her plate. She smells it, and then stabs it with a fork. You’re holding your breath… and… YES she tried it! You are so excited your picky eater just ate a bite of this new food and you shout from the mountaintops: “Good job!” But then, she doesn’t take another bite. In fact, she never takes a bite of that food again. What happened? Was it something you might have said? Well, maybe. Let’s look at four possibilities.

1. Language

When we say “good job” or “nice work” we are telling our kids eating is hard. It’s so hard it’s work. A picky eater’s thought process might be “why do I want to work? I just want to eat” and then ignores the new food.

As a feeding specialist, I like to comment about what the child is doing and label it with the texture of the food. So instead of saying “good job”, I say: “I love the crunching sound you are making with that food. That food is crunchy!” Or, “That food is really sticking in your teeth! That food is sticky!” When we describe the food, then we can present how this new food is similar to one of their preferred foods. “That food is crunchy! Another food that is crunchy is chips!”

2. Listen

If your child says: “I don’t want that sandwich, it makes my tummy hurt.” Listen to her. Is she being stubborn or could she possibility have a food allergy to something in the sandwich? If your child is not verbal yet, listen to what he is saying nonverbally. Is he pushing away from the table? Is he covering his mouth or turning his head? Is he grabbing the spoon and shoveling it into his mouth happily? Listen to his cues and respect his wishes.

3. Love

Parents often show their love for their children through nourishing them with food.  “If you love me you will try it.” Or “Your mommy worked hard to make that for you, so show her you love her and take a bite.” If your child is truly fearful of the new food it is like asking her to eat a scorpion, no matter how much she loves you, she just can’t eat it. Or it’s possible that your child does not have the ability to move her tongue or mouth correctly in order to be successful with that food. It’s not a matter of love, it’s a matter of poor muscle function.  They literally can’t.

4. Leave out the word “no”

A child can become stressed during a meal when their parent is always telling them not to do something. “Don’t hold your cup that way.” “No, that’s not the way to eat it!” “No you are not done, take one more bite.” Comments like these can discourage your child from engaging with you during the meal. Mealtimes are based on trust, so try using language like: “You can hold your cup with both hands.” “That’s one way to eat it, or you could try this way.” “It looks like you are full; you can save this for later.”

When a mealtime includes positive communication and social interactions between the parent and child, it can become a time of exploring new foods together. And yes, even eating them! Tell me about some positive language you use at the table.

I’ve gotten my nose broken from a flinging arm, a fractured rib from a fleeing kick, a black eye from a flying Sippy cup to name a few injuries.  I’ve also spent countless days covered in either: vomit, breast milk, food or other. If you are a parent reading this, you may be thinking, “What’s the big deal? What is she complaining about? I have these days too!” Right? But it’s not MY child’s vomit or MY breast milk. So why, might you ask, do I adore my job and love helping children with feeding disorders? Here are a few reasons:

1. Empathy

I have so much empathy for the children I work with and how hard they struggle. When I told some of my pediatric clients that I was writing this post they wanted me to tell you, the reader, that it’s not their fault they can’t eat what you want them to. They want me to share that they want more than anything to please you and for you to be proud of them. They want to connect with you around the meal you have so tediously prepared, but they just can’t. They don’t want to be talked about while sitting there at the table, right in front of you. And they don’t like being judged, or teased, scolded or compared to other siblings at the table. They want me to express their fear of having to keep eating “one more bite” when they are full and having no control over the portions on their plate. One child told me “I am an eating failure.”

These children used those words! Can you believe the emotion behind the word “failure” for a little 6 year-old to use? Most of these children said the above statements in front of their parents! Some moms cried, another was angry, another apologized to their child and a fresh feeding relationship was budding right in front of me! I am so proud to write down their words and to share a little of “the other side of the story.” Yes, I adore my kiddos.

2. Evaluate

I evaluate children and make a diagnosis of: feeding disorders, oral-motor disorders, sensory disorders, structural disorders, picky eating or problem feeding and swallowing disorders (dysphagia) when applicable. All of these diagnoses can cause a child to refuse to eat. More importantly, none of them are the child’s fault; it is out of their control. These kiddos are not stubborn. For one reason or another, they can’t eat like we can- without help that is. I am devoted to the evaluation process and giving these families answers as to why their child has eating difficulties. My hope is that with these answers, families can help their child instead of pressuring them.

3. Education

I have the privilege of helping parents understand and honor their child’s eating fears and inabilities. I educate mommies about their child’s difficulties and how they can help them overcome. I instruct daddies on tools they can use to help stimulate their child’s eating. In short, I love helping families reconnect at the dinner table!

4. Eating!!!

I get to eat with my kiddos! I eat with my clients, and I eat what they are eating, because it shows that I want to be a part of their world. It lets them know they can trust me as a feeder. They also get a lot of sensory information about the way they eat a certain food compared to the way I eat it. They learn through this experience and they try new ways to eat their preferred foods and they learn how to eat new foods. They engage. They create and play. And they overcome their feeding issues through this safe therapeutic process.

I not only have to earn the child’s trust, but the parents trust as well. Feeding therapy is a non-judgmental interaction between all feeders and eaters. Whatever the mom brings to therapy for the child to (hopefully) eat, mom and I get to eat too! Families have a wide range of reasons for bringing particular foods into therapy, such as cultural, social-economic, financial and nutritional reasons, which are all embraced with acceptance at our clinic. However, our ultimate goal in therapy is to get every child to eat a wide range of whole foods.

I fall in love with my clients and my profession every day. Thanks for taking this challenging and humorous journey into my world of feeding and nourishing picky eating children.

Happy Feeding!

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