From the child Psychologist:
1) know you're not alone, know you're doing the best you can, know it's ok to ask for help.
2) think about your own experience and relationships, think about your own experiences around food, think about how you would like it to go ideally (best done as a couple0
3) Work as a team, you and your partner, and other carers need to be working together.
4) Power struggles are a lose-lose situation! want to make it win-win. Struggles teach persistence and reduces self esteem. * Give some power back to the child* Give choices, make plans together, involve and excite your child.
5) Timing - maybe everyone can't eat together.
6) Age appropriate food (boring is ok, substitutes are ok)
7) choose your battles (food first, manners later)
Small gains are ok - a food a week is great, tasting it is good, it doesn't have to be finished! Setbacks are expected but keep moving forward!
9) Get help! It's ok to ask for help and to get ongoing support. Always check out medical issues first, then look at counselling and psychological support. Family members need to support each other, and need outside advice and support to make ongoing changes. Set up behavioural plans, charts, strategies, changing your self talk.
10) Organise cheer squads for you and for your child (e.g. child can phone grandma or aunty when they try a new food)
They also talked about using rewards to try new foods - NOT FOOD RELATED! So a toy or something, that is age appropriate and fun that only comes out and the child is only allowed to play with, if they have whatever parent decides on. So 2 bites for a turn at the toy. Then up the stakes. 3 bites. etc. And to start it with a food you know your child likes so they get the idea.
Aidan and I are booked in on the 1st December for our one-on-one assessment so keep us in your minds on that day!! Hope some of that makes sense and is helpful to anyone. I shall report on the progress from our sessions.
Melissa.
