Is your child a picky eater? Have you tried all of the distractions, airplanes, and other tricks you can think of to sneak in a quick bite?
It is natural for your toddler to go through a picky eating stage, though there can be other factors to include (but not limited to) prematurity, developmental or oral motor delay, specific genetic conditions, sensory sensitivities, etc. that may each impact your child's ability to partake in mealtime and eat a variety of foods. Thankfully, there are many strategies you are able to try at home as a parent or caregiver to help your child overcome picky eating, and with consistency and patience (sometimes a lot!) your hard work can pay off!
As an occupational therapist, I have seen many children of all ages for feeding difficulties, and have found many strategies and tips to be quite helpful! Here are just a few of them to try at home!
Helpful tips
Make feeding fun! Try to incorporate lots of colors, different shapes/presentation of foods, and silly names to your foods, can make trying a new food less scary! Try to use things like cookie cutters (who doesn't love a dinosaur-shaped sandwich). Call carrots orange saucers, make your teddy grahams talk, get silly!
Respect your child's "cues" during mealtimes. Things like turning away from the food/utensil, arching backward, pushing food from them/away from the table, furrowing their brow are all ways your child is trying to communicate "no thank you". When this occurs, you can try to remove some or all of the food from your child and try in a few moments if they are able to return to a calm state, if not then it is okay to end the meal/snack.
Stick to a routine! Children thrive on routines and knowing what to expect, so a specific time and place will help promote predictability.
Watch yourself! Has your child had a previous incident of gagging or choking that has left your anxious, though it hasn't repeated itself? We all choke on foods on occasion, and if medical issues are ruled out and your child is otherwise healthy, be sure to keep a calm and neutral facial expression if your child begins to gag. In practice I would sometimes suggest parents record themselves during the mealtime with their child, as they are often surprised when they go back to watch the recording at their own facial expressions during a meal ("I didn't know I was making that face" is a common response!
Limit use of distraction! Use of screens (Ipads, phones, etc.) are often used as a last resort for a parent to sneak in a quick few bites of food before their child realizes what they are up to. This may work for a time, but ultimately you want your child you be a part of the mealtime experience, and build positive associations with food and really take part in mealtime!
For difficulties with certain textures, respect your child's limits, but it is okay to challenge them as well! For example, for a child who does not tolerate wet/sticky textures, I would not suggest eating soup with your hands for example, but maybe we take a preferred "safe" food like teddy grahams for example, and then every so slightly dip them in a "pool" of applesauce to have your child "rescue" them! Praise them for their heroic efforts, and then increase the challenge a bit (maybe the teddy graham says thank you for rescuing me and would like a kiss!)
Make your child's spot at the table their own! If mealtime has become a huge stressor, try to take a step back and change the environment up a bit. I'm not saying you have to throw out your gorgeous dining table for a new one or get an entire new highchair/booster seat, but go to the store and allow your child to pick out their own big girl/boy plate, utensils, cup, etc. These things are just theirs and special for mealtimes. This can often increase buy-in for willingness to participate and try foods.
When you are done, you are done! When you have said mealtime is over, then that means you do not require your child to take any more bites. Saying "one more bite and then we are done" and going back on this after becoming excited that your child takes a bite can backfire and result in mistrust for your next meal (Mom/Dad said just one more bite but then asked for more-see how that can be confusing?). A tool to help with this (specifically picky eaters who struggle with textures or certain food items) is an "all done" bowl or plate. This plate or bowl is for all the foods your child has tried, whether this is simply touching, or kissing, licking, taking a bite and spitting out, etc. Once the food is on this bowl or plate, you do not ask your child to pick it back up and take a bite. It takes the pressure off your child as they know the expectation and can build their confidence as they see the pile of new foods grow!
Patience! Yes I mentioned this above already, but this can often times take lots of patience to work through with your child. Make sure you are celebrating all of their little victories, (maybe they licked something and didn't grimace or gag, or tried a bite of your casserole and spit it out!) and celebrating the hard work you are putting in too!!
These are just a few of the strategies I have found most helpful, please feel free to try and let me know what you found most helpful for your picky eater!
**As always, if you have concerns about your child's overall nutritional intake please reach out to your pediatrician as both you and your pediatrician know your child best! This is not meant to substitute for medical advice. If you feel your child is struggling with texture sensitivity or pickiness you may be referred to an occupational therapist who will do a full evaluation and come up with a plan to help!