In anticipation of her upcoming event with the Chicago Feeding Group, Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA sat down with one of CFG's own team members to discuss how supporting parents is just as important as supporting children at the table. Summarized in a brief letter, read on to hear their discussion on showing yourself kindness, finding what helps you stay calm, and making room for lots of celebrations along the way in your journey with pediatric feeding disorder.
Dear Parent,
Please give yourself grace. Parenting is hard. All parents come up with significant surges of strong positive as well as negative feelings with parenting. Just remember, YOU are doing the best you can! Mealtimes may be stressful for the whole family, including yourself. We want you to know you also deserve to be acknowledged throughout this process as you, the parent, play an important role in the relationship you have with your child.
Some ideas to keep mealtimes positive for the entire family:
Involve your child in meal prep and clean up – Interacting with foods in enjoyable ways helps children increase comfort and confidence around foods and actively participate in family mealtimes.
Establish clear, realistic mealtime expectations – Routines can help mealtimes be more predictable and enjoyable for your child.
Enjoy family discussions that do not revolve around food – Chat about the fun parts of the day!
Allow your child to have control – Be sure the mealtime has at least 1 or 2 foods that are familiar to your child and respect if your child says "no".
Foster positive interactions with food – Find interesting and enjoyable ways to interact with food that are appropriate for your child and sparks your child's interest.
One of the most important tips we encourage parents to remember during stressful moments is to try to remain CALM. This can be difficult especially during heightened emotional times. Some strategy suggestions that might help you include mindfulness, pauses, and giving yourself credit.
Another important reminder is to CELEBRATE your child! Your child is learning and exploring the world with you! We want to acknowledge the positive things your children are doing around mealtimes. Just remember, you are doing a great job! And so are your kids!
Sincerely,
The Chicago Feeding Group and Marsha
Written in collaboration with Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA