Top Benefits of Feeding Therapy for Toddlers
Is your little one getting fussy about food? Maybe they’re unsure what they want, but they know what they don’t! Are there only a few foods they’ll eat, and it feels like a broken record? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything but have yet to succeed? Maybe you’re tired of hearing people say, “If they’re hungry, they’ll eat.” But deep down, you know there’s more to it. That’s where feeding therapy comes in. It can help your child with their emotions around food and make mealtime smoother.
For those wondering about the potential benefits of feeding therapy for toddlers, we have curated a comprehensive list of the top 10 advantages. Explore below to discover how feeding therapy can support your little one.
The Benefits of Feeding Therapy
Health And Growth
Children who have trouble eating for different reasons may also have difficulty gaining enough weight to be healthy for their height and age. If doctors have checked and no other medical issues are causing this problem, going to feeding therapy can be an excellent way to help your child eat more, get better nutrition by trying new foods, and grow stronger! Feeding therapy is a special kind of help just for them. It can make eating more accessible and help them grow big and strong.
Increase Variety Of Accepted Foods
Do you have a picky eater child? Does your child eat only a limited variety of foods like goldfish, chicken nuggets, and frozen waffles? When you go out to eat, do you have to bring special foods in ziplock bags because you know they won’t like anything on the kids’ menu?
Feeding therapy can help your child expand the foods they like to eat. It’s effective! With feeding therapy, they can learn to try new foods and become more flexible at mealtimes.
More Calm And Joyful Mealtimes
Mealtimes can be stressful; we understand that. But guess what? Feeding therapy can make a big difference! It helps make mealtimes less of a struggle and more enjoyable. Imagine having calm and joyful family mealtimes. It’s possible! Feeding therapy can help you achieve that.
Decrease Stress Associated With Meal Preparation
Do you ever feel like preparing meals for your little one is like trying to balance on a tightrope? It’s all about ensuring they eat enough and introducing new foods without causing a complete meltdown! It can feel like a never-ending job, like being a chef who has to cook different things for adults and kids. If you’ve been struggling with this for a while and not making much progress, we want to help you and your family with feeding therapy. Feeding therapy is all about supporting and assisting your family with this challenge. Let’s work together to make mealtime a success!
Learn How To Engage And Play With Food
Feeding therapy is all about having fun with food! We encourage kids to play and explore with their meals. Imagine getting elbow-deep in oatmeal, painting with chocolate, or even using cookie cutters with everything! It’s not just about having fun, though. Playing with food helps children get used to new and different foods. It also makes them more comfortable with trying new sensations. This is one of the techniques used by feeding therapists to help picky eaters. Don’t worry if playing with food doesn’t come naturally. We’ve got many ideas for food play that we’ll share with you and your child during feeding therapy, such as tips on introducing new foods to your picky eater toddlers. Let’s enjoy mealtime together!
Making A Solid Food Foundation And Healthy Eating Habits
Early childhood is essential for developing a healthy and long-lasting connection with food. Sometimes, when kids repeatedly have challenging experiences with food, they start to feel yucky about eating. That feeling can stick around for a long time! By transforming those unpleasant sensations into joyful ones and infusing mealtime with excitement, you can equip your child with the necessary habits and foundations for cultivating a lifelong positive and wholesome connection with food. That’s why feeding therapy is so excellent – it helps you with all this!
Increase Connection, Trust, And Safety Around Eating
We want you to feel comfortable and involved during feeding therapy and mealtimes at home! Over time, as we have fun with food and play and with less pressure to eat, you’ll notice more connection and trust. Your little one will feel safe to explore foods at their own pace. Imagine a meal where everyone happily connects over food instead of a daily battle – we’re committed to making that happen in feeding therapy!
Self-Regulation
Feeding therapy helps toddlers in incredible ways! One of the best things is that it teaches them how to control their emotions. This is called self-regulation, which means they learn to calm down when upset. They do this by connecting with their grown-ups and staying calm together. It’s all about finding routines and strategies that help your child feel calm when it’s time to eat, even if the food is slightly different. Feeding therapy is also about helping parents like you with tips to make mealtimes easier. When you stay calm and bring a peaceful vibe to the table, your kiddo will also learn to feel joy and peace. Give feeding therapy a try – it’s fantastic for kids like yours!
Understanding how to handle mealtime behaviors.
Toddlers are suitable in the middle of a stage where they want to do everything independently. They crave independence, and they want it RIGHT NOW. Feeding therapy is helpful for learning how to handle and understand toddler behaviors during mealtimes. Like throwing spoons? Or having meltdowns when they have new foods on their plate? Or even screaming just because you gave them the purple spoon instead of the red one? We get the struggle. And guess what? We have lots of cool ideas and ways to help with feeding therapy.
Mealtimes Easier for Other Caregivers Is
Is it easier for your child to eat with everything being just right? Do you feel like you’re the only one they eat with? And do you wish other grown-ups would help, too? We’re here to support you, teach your family and friends, and find ways to help you feed your little one consistently. When mealtimes get more accessible, you’ll feel confident leaving your child with someone else, knowing they’ll get the food they need. Feeding therapy can take some pressure off you and make it easier for everyone!
Have Your Child’s Feeding Therapy Started!
Feeding therapy can help little kids! It’s powerful and can make a big difference. If your child needs feeding therapy, you can book a meeting with one of our awesome Feeding Specialists at Speak Live Play! We’ll listen to you and help you figure out what to do next for happy mealtimes.
