Picky Eater

What do you want for dinner? Chicken Nuggets. What else do you want for dinner? Chicken Nuggets. If meals are a battle and chicken nuggets are what your child eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you have a "Picky Eater." Join us to learn how to encourage your child to "try" new foods. You'll be given a Cognitive Behavioral meal plan which allows your child choice while you gradually expose your child to new foods. The goal of this meal plan is for your child to feel more confident trying new foods with meal time not being a total meltdown. Join us for Picky Eater if you want to hear "That was good. I want more of that."

INSTRUCTOR

Randy Floyd, LSCSW, Founder, Clinical Level Therapist

Randy is the founder of Midwest Anxiety. He is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker who is an optimist and passionate about helping people focus on what they can do rather than what they can't do. Randy believes building a strong therapeutic relationship and tapping into a person's strengths are the most essential components of the therapeutic experience. Randy is passionate about changing the way we do mental health. He is focused on making mental health normal, a positive experience. He is also adamant about doing mental health differently. Randy believes the "old ways" suggest mental health is for the "broken" or "mentally ill." Randy believes that "Everyone Struggles." Sure. Some people struggle more than others, but everyone struggles with something. With this belief, Randy is focused on providing a wide range of programs and services to help people be mentally well ;) Go give Randy a fist bump on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

CLASS RECORDING

This class is > about You and < About your child.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  1. Thoughts

    1. Zone into the threat (“gross” food), thoughts become negative.

    2. Difficult to focus on other things other than “gross” food.

  2. Feelings

    1. Experience various physiological sensations such as heart palpitations, sweating, headaches, upset stomach, etc.

  3. Behaviors

    1. Fight, Flight, or Freeze.

    2. Generally need reassurance, accommodations, or avoidance.

Meal Plan

Before starting this plan, please consult and maintain contact with pediatrician to monitor weight and any other medical complications.

  1. In collaboration with your child, make a list of “Try” foods from most liked to least liked food.

  2. At meal time, give a small portion of “Try” food and medium portion of “Like” food to your child.

  3. If your child eats “Try” food within pre-determined amount of time, your child can have more of “Like” food. If your child, doesn’t eat “Try” food within pre-determined amount of time, your child doesn’t get anymore “Like” food, meal is over, and your child eats “healthy” snacks until “Try” food is eaten. Do not force your child to “Try.”

  4. You will continue to serve the child the same “Try” food until your child has eaten it within the pre-determined time for 3 consecutive meals.

  5. In order, you will move onto the next “Try” food and start the process over.

This meal plan is going to hold your child highly accountable for eating foods he/she has avoided in the past. There will be CONFLICT. Plan on it. The success of this plan will be based on how much as a parent you will be able to tolerate your child’s disruptive behavior.

Two things have to happen for your child to become less of a picky eater: Your child has to embrace Being uncomfortable and being uncertain.  this requires less of you and more of your child.

CBT Parenting to increase your child's chances to “Try” Foods.

  1. Thoughts

    1. Encourage but don't make your child "Think opposite thought."

    2. At the most tell your child "you can handle however it tastes"

  2. Feelings

    1. Encourage to "push through" feelings of discomfort.

    2. Let your child feel anxious! This will allow your child to develop skills to work through anxiety.

  3. Behaviors

    1. Don't decrease your child's anxiety by reassuring, accommodating, or avoiding.

    2. Follow the Meal Plan.

Don't Get Pulled In!

  1. Be Calm and Consistent!

  2. Expect your child to get anxious/avoidant.

  3. Don't make it better! You can empathize with your child but don’t make it easier on them.

  4. Let your child be uncertain and uncomfortable. This will help them build tolerance and skills to anxiety.

  5. Don't get overwhelmed by the consequences of your child being anxious. Unless losing weight or medical complications play the long game.

  6. Generally when working on food avoidance there are other avoidance type situations that need to be worked on also (i.e. sleeping in own bed, completing tasks on own, transitions, etc.). An additional layer to this is a behavioral plan when your child’s behaviors are trying to over power your meal plan.

Resources

What's NExt?

  1. Nothing. Just let it ride and see how it goes ;)

  2. Take some more classes. A great addition to this class is The MWA Behavioral Modification Plan class.

  3. Need more help than just a class? Try the The Feel Good Community or Individual Therapy.

  4. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

QUESTIONS?

LIMITS & RESTRICTIONS

The materials distributed are provided with the understanding that the author and presenters are not engaged in rendering professional services. This is a psychoeducational class and information in the presentations or group discussions by the presenters, facilitators, or participants should not be considered to be medical, psychological, legal, financial, or spiritual counsel. The presentations and written materials are not intended to provide medical, psychological, legal, financial, or spiritual services or counseling. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Any opinions, finding, recommendations or conclusions expressed by the author(s) or speaker(s) do not necessarily reflect the views of Midwest Anxiety, LLC.