For Parents

I am a speech-language pathologist with 15 years of experience — and I am also a mom.

Part of a speech-language pathologist's job is helping children eat and swallow safely — yet my own child was a very poor eater, both with milk and with meals. Feeding was hard from birth: drinking very slowly, only accepting breast milk (no switching), and not even taking a pacifier.

We hoped things would get better once we started solids at 4 months. Instead, right up to age 2, we ran into every feeding problem you can name — not chewing, gagging on vegetables, eating very little, spitting food out, a very short list of accepted foods — plus the behavioral ones: throwing food, "playing" with food, spitting water. All I can say is: it was very challenging!

For my child, I spent time reading books, taking courses and digging into research on how solid feeding develops and how infants and toddlers eat. I also joined parent groups — and found out how many families have "mealtime problems"!

But the information on social media is fragmented, limited and incomplete. For busy parents short on time, getting fuller background knowledge faster can really help. (That is why I started writing about it.)

Mealtimes may not seem like a big deal, but day after day they can wear down your patience and your relationship. If you also hope your child can enjoy eating, feel positive about food, and gradually learn table manners that fit social norms — you will find everything you need here.