Help Your Child Learn about Foods Rather than Just Eating Them - Have Them Help You in the Kitchen and Have Fun!
Feeding Therapy
Aaron Cefalo, OTD, OTR/L
Responsive feeding therapy emphasizes creating a positive and relaxed environment around food, where children feel empowered to explore and make choices. It's about following your child's cues of hunger and fullness, and letting them explore food at their own pace. Getting your child involved in the kitchen can help them gain confidence and learn about foods that they may otherwise never learn about.
How to Get Your Child Involved in the Kitchen based on age:
Toddlers (2-3 years old): Washing vegetables (make sure to supervise), stirring ingredients, arranging toppings on a pizza, using kid safe knives to cut things that are easy to cut, sorting colorful ingredients.
Preschoolers (4-5 years old): Setting the table, measuring ingredients with small cups, pouring dry ingredients, using kid safe knives to cut things, using cookie cutters, pouring liquids with adult supervision.
School-aged children (6+ years old): Mixing batters, helping with age-appropriate chopping (with a child-safe knife), spreading butter on bread, making fruit kebabs, making simple meals (mac & cheese, PB sandwich, salads, etc.).
Benefits of Kitchen Engagement:
Ownership and Confidence: When children help prepare meals or even just help with small steps of food prep, they feel a sense of ownership over the food. This can help them feel more confident and interested to try new things they helped create.
Sensory Exploration: The kitchen is full of textures, smells, and tastes. Engaging children's senses in a safe and positive way can make them more comfortable with unfamiliar foods.
Fine Motor Skills Development: Tasks such as stirring, pouring, cutting or tearing can strengthen fine motor skills that are used for self-feeding.
Positive Associations: Creating positive memories around food builds a foundation for healthy eating and food habits.
Tips for Kitchen Success:
Make it Fun!
Sing songs or tell stories: Create a positive and engaging atmosphere while cooking.
Get silly: Make silly faces with vegetables, use cookie cutters to make funny shapes, make up a silly story using the shapes, or have a dance break while waiting for things to cook.
Kitchen helpers: Let your child pick out a fun apron or chef hat to wear while helping in the kitchen.
Keep it Safe
Choose tasks that match your child's age and ability.
Make sure to supervise your child around knives, hot objects, etc.
Focus on fun and exploration, not perfection.
Let go of the need for a perfectly clean kitchen. The goal is for your child to feel comfortable and empowered, not stressed about spills.
Make sure that FUN is the main focus of the kitchen prep.
Lead by Example
Show your child that you enjoy a variety of foods.
Show them fun ways to engage in the food other than just eating it.
Keep it Positive
Avoid pressuring your child to eat anything they're not comfortable with.
Remember: Responsive feeding is a journey, not a destination. By involving your child in the kitchen, you're planting the seeds for a healthy relationship with food that will last a lifetime. By incorporating these tips, you can transform your kitchen into a space for exploration, connection, and positive experiences with food, all while supporting your child's responsive feeding therapy journey.