The holidays are here! While many of us are looking forward to the endless buffets of casseroles and pies, if you’re a parent of toddlers, picky eaters, or kids with significant sensory needs, these holiday meals can be highly stressful.
As pediatric occupational therapy practitioners, we’ve spent years helping children with feeding and sensory processing differences. Here are 5 simple tips that can help alleviate some of that holiday mealtime stress:
- If possible, arrive early to gatherings so kids have a chance to acclimate to the space before it gets busy.
- Provide noise-cancelling headphones or designate a quiet room for kids to go when they feel overwhelmed by sights and smells.
- Keep serving sizes small, especially with unfamiliar foods. A good place is start is one tablespoon, and no more than one tablespoon per year of age.
- Limit to 3-4 foods on the plate at one time to avoid visual overstimulation.
- Always have at least 1 “safe” food on the plate that you know your child will eat.
We know table manners are important to a lot of people, but we often encourage kids to play with their food, especially towards the end of a meal. Learning happens through play, and food is no exception. Kids are more likely to eat something if they’re familiar with it.
Eating is arguably the most complex thing that children do, so these recommendations just scratch the surface. If mealtimes are consistently stressful, your child eats fewer than 10 foods, or your child avoids foods in a specific food group, he or she might benefit from occupational therapy. Our office is available for free 15-minute consultations either by phone or in person. You can request an appointment online or call us at 706-310-8383.