If meal times are a battle in your house, Feeding Therapist Teresa Foley's tips and tricks will be music to your ears. Listen back to her interview with Ray D'Arcy on RTÉ Radio 1 above.
A children's occupational therapist for over 17 years, and a mother to three herself, Teresa says she found her true passion for helping little ones in the area of feeding therapy.
There are many reasons why children or babies may struggle with eating, and it can be tricky to find a blanket solution because so many neurological and developmental processes are at play when it comes to consuming food.
"The research tells us that parenting actually doesn't have as much to do with how our children turn out," she explains. "The science tells us that you can parent two children in the exact same way, feed them in the exact same way, but it's actually their genetics that has more of a part to play in their eating styles."
Weaning
Before you even attempt to mash up some avocado or puree your potato, Teresa recommends going through a checklist to ensure the baby is ready to wean.
While best practice is to start at about five and a half to six months of age, she recommends ensuring that the baby is able to sit up in the high chair by themselves, and that their tongue thrust reflex has disappeared.
The HSE recommends choosing a time when:
- You are not rushed or under pressure
- Your baby is not too hungry or tired
- You are not distracted by other people
When it is time to eat, the OT recommends doing whatever works best for your family, whether that be buying baby food or puréeing suitable foods that you have in the pot.
"If you're making spaghetti bolognese, absolutely, if you want to blend up some of the sauce for the baby, but equally give them some of the pasta that the family is having. It needs to work for everyone."
Just be sure that your baby sits in a high chair or at the table and is always supervised when eating. Children are more likely to choke if they are moving around.
Common mistakes
No matter the age, parents should try to give their children some space to eat as best they can at that time.
While many of us grew up being told to stay at the table until we cleared our plates, Teresa says that putting pressure on the child - even to have "just two more bites" - overrides the child's internal signals.
"Ultimately, we want to give the child space to think, 'OK, am I really hungry? Do I like this food?' They may not be ready to eat yet."
Although it can be difficult to give children this space and patience, particularly if you have other children and busy schedules to keep up with, Teresa says it's best to say, "That's fine, let's try again later, maybe your tummy will feel more hungry then".
Keeping meal times relaxed, stress-free, and shame-free is the key to success.
"Even if you don't feel calm on the inside, try to keep things as calm as possible," she says. "Just to help... I suppose we never want the child to dread meal time; we don't want the child to dread coming to the dinner table."
Even if they're not eating, encourage your kids to sit at the dinner table and have time with their family.
Picky eater or problem eater?
Whether you're a 'super taster', have dull taste buds, favour beige foods, or avoid a certain food group, there are many children (and adults) who struggle to vary their diets.
If your child has preferred foods but is mostly able to at least try a range of foods (approximately 30), and eating is causing minimal disruption in the household, you likely have a picky eater.
If meal times have become a major source of stress for the household, and your child will eat less than 20, 10 or even just five foods, you likely have a problem eater. At this point, it may be a good idea to reach out for professional help.
For more information, listen back to the full interview on RTÉ Radio 1 above.
