What to do About Picky Eaters | POF105

I was my parent’s worst nightmare...I was, and still am, a picky eater. I wish my parents knew my guest, Heidi Miller when I was growing up. When our kids don’t eat what we want them to, eat too little, eat too much, don’t want to sit at the table or get up constantly, we worry. We worry about their health and if they are getting enough nutrition and connection during family time. Heidi says that kids “aren’t picky, just to be PICKY”. She says there is always a reason behind the behavior. In this episode, we talk about the factors that can be getting in the way of your kids eating: Physiological sensory allergies and more Why families eating together at mealtimes matter What NOT to do (hint: don’t force it!) As long as our kids are eating 60% of what we serve, they are doing well! How to manage our expectations How to use smart snacks For a free copy of Heidi’s “Visual Sensory Steps for Picky Eaters” go to www.parent-toolbox.com RED FLAGS 🚩 For a Feeding PROBLEM Child eats fewer than 20 foods Child does not eat an entire food group Mealtime is a very stressful time for the family because of the child’s behaviors (food throwing, table avoidance, tantrums) Child is very brand specific Child shows aversion to being around new foods or non-preferred food Reasons to seek intervention even if your child accepts a variety of foods child gags, vomits or chokes while eating or drinking difficulty chewing, child is pocketing food, and drools only eats certain textures eats small volumes of food or takes a very long time to eat (over 30 minutes) An Additional resource for families is Feeding Matters, a non- profit organization www.feedingmatters.com About Heidi Miller Heidi Miller, MS, CCC-SLP, COM® is a Speech Language Pathologist, Feeding Specialist and Certified Orofacial Myologist  who works with children (0-18) and families to improve their speech and feeding skills. Heidi has a specific interest in picky eating. She recently wrote and published the HMS Feeding Therapy Protocol for Expanding Repertoire of Picky Eaters and Children with ARFID to help other speech therapists and occupational therapist treat this population.  Heidi Believes through her 20 years of experience treating this population she has developed a treatment protocol that empowers the child and allows them to confidently learn to eat new foods in a safe environment. Heidi has a true passion for this work as eating can be very challenging and disruptive to a family who has a child that struggles with a limited repertoire. Heidi Miller  holds a Masters of Science  in Speech Language Pathology  from Nova Southeastern University. Bachelors of Science from University of Wisconsin - Madison and Minor in Education. Heidi is licensed in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Maryland. Contact information: http://heidimillerspeech.com/ HMS Feeding Therapy Protocol For Expanding Repetoire of Picky Eaters and Children with ARFID - A guide for SLP’s and OT’s to learn how to effectively treat picky eaters and teach them how to eat in a safe environment with confidence. https://www.helppickyeaters.com/ Email: [email protected] HMS & Associates phone: 973-358-5665 Located in Florham Park, NJ Social Media: @hmsfeedingandspeech FB: HMSFeeding and Heidi Miller Speech & Associates  Linkedin: Heidi Tanania Miller, Heidi Miller Speech & Associates   Thanks for listening! It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you would like to purchase my book or other parenting resources, visit me at www.yellingcurebook.com With this podcast, my intention is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that! I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is...