Welcome to part 5 of a 10 part series leading up to Thanksgiving by our parent contributor, Beth Lattime. You can check out part 4 here.
Cheerios. Milk. Apple Juice. Period.
Do you have a picky eater? Are you laughing outloud? It’s ok! Let your mom or Uncle Jack know that you value their cooking and so does your husband. Although, you need to give your child a bowl of cheerios if they are going to remotely sit still for ten minutes at the table or maybe even ten seconds.
If possible, prepare your child ahead of time about the different foods that people will be eating. Show them pictures of the foods and expose them before the event. If these strategies do not work, at least they will know what everyone is eating and be able to possibly talk about the feast. Tell them that different people like different types of foods. Explain to them that it is ok that they do not like what will be served but that others do. If you want them to try new foods, consider introducing items gradually. For some children, it may be difficult to simply have new foods presented to them on their plate or on a plate nearby. Consider your kiddo’s needs and plan ahead. Again, consider what your child can tolerate and what your goals are for them to accomplish with food. If your goal is for them to finish a bowl of yogurt, Thanksgiving is not the time to have them try a plate of green bean casserole. Be practical.
*Beth
Lattime, M. Ed. is a developmental specialist and intervention specialist. Her
professional experiences span over classroom, clinical, home-based, and
recreational environments. She can now proudly add her own natural environments
to her list of experiences. Ethan was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms in 2012
which is a rare type of epilepsy and had a former diagnosis of dysphasia. He is
currently undergoing intensive therapies at LLA for apraxia and deficits in the
arenas of physical and occupational therapy as well. For more on Beth’s story,
visit www.lattimeinterventionservices.com
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