Surviving Social Gatherings with a Picky Eater

Red Flags and Survival Suggestions

What Do I Bring That My Child Will Eat?

Surviving social gatherins with a picky eater without losing your sanity can be quite a feat. This is a common problem for many families.

With the exception of food allergies or medical diet restrictions, kids with typical developing feeding skills do not need short order cooking.

Picky Eating Red Flags

Below are red flags that are NOT typical picky eating behaviors and may indicate that your child’s intervention.

 Eats less than 20 different foods

 Has extreme food preferences

 Eats only certain textures

 Will not eat fruits, vegetables, or meats

 You become a short order cook

 Starting to avoid or demonstrate anxiety about social situations that involve food

 Refuses to eat anything that is not his comfort foods

 Starts to eliminate favorite foods

Survival Suggestions

If you have a picky eater on your hands, don’t stress out. Here are a few common sense things to do at a social gathering to support your child with feeding issues:

 DO NOT allow well-meaning friends or relatives to “get your kid to eat”. Bribing or calling out his feeding issues will bring no good and can make the problem worse

 Choose a dish that you know your child will like to share with others so as not ot isolate him.

 Ignore or smile sweetly at judgemental comments from family or friends. Yor child’s feeding issues are best discussed with a professional specializing in feeding and swallowing disorders.

If not addressed, picky eating can become more than bothersome. If you are concerned, you should have yourchild evaluated and treated by a professional specializing in feeding and swallowing issues.