Meals may quickly turn into a time of day that you and your child dread if you are a parent of a highly fussy eater. Many parents have told us over the years that when green vegetables are served, or elbow-shaped pasta is used in place of curly spaghetti, the dinner table becomes a conflict.
“How can my child still have so much energy while eating so little?” is now a concern for the parent. After a while, it becomes easier to give in to the child’s demands for junk food just to ensure that they are at least receiving something to eat. This is where a place like Feeding Fundamentals, LLC comes in.
Leaving Parents Out
If caregivers aren’t adequately taught what to do at meals, your child is unlikely to improve their eating habits, even after working diligently with a therapist. Many programs provide a pleasant remedy for picky eating, like learning about healthy nutrition or having to put up with being in the same room as the offending food. These early intervention training programs don’t encourage kids to try new meals at home.
Reasons Why Parents Need to Be Involved
Parents can occasionally make the issue worse by failing to establish the expectation from the start of therapy that bits of food are to be eaten, chewed, and swallowed. A clear set of mealtime regulations must be provided for parents to adhere to these guidelines at home.
Effective early intervention training programs target the child’s behavior and engage parents. Parents can observe and even participate in therapist-led meals. Once a kid achieves goals, parent teaching helps shape mealtime behavior.