How many of you have heard “just serve them what you’re eating, they’ll eventually get hungry enough to eat what you served”?
For parents with children who suffer from severe sensory aversions to food, this is far from the truth. I worked with families who reported taking this advice and then having to watch their child not eat for days before giving them something they know they’ll eat. This is emotionally painful for both the parents and the child, and can actually worsen a child’s sensory aversions due to stress.
This is why I highly encourage parents to always serve a preferred food with every meal. Serving a preferred food reduces the initial stress response and allows the child to feel secure during the meal. When the child feels secure, he or she will feel more open to trying new foods.
Adults experience mild sensory aversions when they are under stress as well. Adults often will desire “comfort” foods such as desserts, fried foods, or macaroni and cheese when they experience stress in their lives. No one feels like trying a bizarre dish after a bad day at work. This rings true for kids too! If you know your child is having a difficult day, it may be best to withhold pushing new foods at dinner.
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