January 2018 | Melanie Potock

Parenting a Picky Eater

The many gifts of family meals: Eat better, bond & prevent obesity

By Dr. Ayala A NEW META-ANALYSIS, INCLUDING 200,000 PEOPLE, FINDS THAT FAMILY MEALS HELP FIGHT OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN KIDS. THE FAMILY MEAL OFFERS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD BY...

January 31, 2018
0

Feeding Toddlers to School Age, Parenting a Picky Eater

Treat Vegetables Like Fast Food and Change the Way Your Kids Eat

By Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the french fry is the most popular vegetable in America and the possible runner-up is potato...

January 29, 2018
0

Medical Concerns, Parenting a Picky Eater

5 Signs Your Picky Child Isn’t Getting Enough Nutrients & You Need To See A Doc

By Jacqueline Burt Cote There’s a reason why foods like buttered noodles and chicken fingers are clichéd children’s menu staples: Lots of kids aren’t particularly open-minded when it comes to...

January 27, 2018
0

Feeding Toddlers to School Age, Medical Concerns

7 Red Flags Your Child Is More Than Just A Picky Eater & Trying To Tell You Something’s Up

By Jacqueline Burt Cote At some point or another, nearly every kid will exhibit behavior that falls into the “picky eating” category — and if you’ve ever had a toddler...

January 24, 2018
0

Feeding Therapy, Parenting a Picky Eater

4 Surprising Ways to Help Your Kids LOVE Vegetables (That Have Nothing to Do With Eating or Cooking)

Helping your child love vegetables can start outside of the kitchen. By Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP One of parenting’s toughest dilemmas is how to get kids to eat their vegetables....

January 12, 2018
0

Feeding Babies, Feeding Therapy, Feeding Toddlers to School Age, Medical Concerns

Tongue Tie: Why I Can’t Wait for the Research

By Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP I’m in the trenches. I’m the one holding a mom’s hands while she tears up and asks me why her baby can’t eat solid foods...

January 6, 2018
0

Feeding Babies, Feeding Toddlers to School Age

How to Stop a Kid From Chewing on the Crib

Babies have always chomped; it’s just that gums don’t leave marks. Parents can help by giving kids an appropriate way to relieve their discomfort. By Matthew Utley Waking up in the...

January 3, 2018
0

mymunchbug_melaniepotock

May 31

So, you’ve introduced the open cup but your toddler has discovered GRAVITY.

😳Happens to the best of us – it’s going to be ok!
.
💦Grab some paper towels and follow my 3 C’s.
.
🧘‍♀️ Stay calm.
Respond in a concise manner – just state the facts. Screenshot the graphic so you remember exactly how to handle this one!
.
👉🏼Parent consistently and get all the adults on board too! Consistency is key when it comes to establishing positive behaviors in kids.
.
💜Most of all – remember to join in on the fun when it is an appropriate time and place, like bathtime! Kids just want attention and that’s the time to reinforce their delight in pouring, splashing & discovering
all the fun things that we can do with cups!
.
👉🏼But when we are not in the bath, cups are for drinking. 😊 #melaniepotock

So, you’ve introduced the open cup but your toddler has discovered GRAVITY.

😳Happens to the best of us – it’s going to be ok!
.
💦Grab some paper towels and follow my 3 C’s.
.
🧘‍♀️ Stay calm.
Respond in a concise manner – just state the facts. Screenshot the graphic so you remember exactly how to handle this one!
.
👉🏼Parent consistently and get all the adults on board too! Consistency is key when it comes to establishing positive behaviors in kids.
.
💜Most of all – remember to join in on the fun when it is an appropriate time and place, like bathtime! Kids just want attention and that’s the time to reinforce their delight in pouring, splashing & discovering
all the fun things that we can do with cups!
.
👉🏼But when we are not in the bath, cups are for drinking. 😊 #melaniepotock ...

mymunchbug_melaniepotock

May 30

🤦🏼‍♀️Got a picky eater who will only eat one brand of chicken nugget and GOD FORBID they change the packaging?

🤦🏼‍♀️Got a kid who will only eat at one brand of fast-food restaurant and a fry is NOT a fry at any other drive-thru?

👉🏼When kids are brand-specific, they stick to FAMILIAR. They aren’t comfortable with change, especially when it comes to their food.

✨What to do about it? Start small. Include one small piece of the same food (different brand) on the child’s plate, along with the preferred food. Start with just visual acceptance – eating comes later.

❌Please don’t…
1. Put a new brand in the familiar brand’s container. It won’t solve a thing and it only breaks down trust.

2. Try to reason with your child. It just creates an adversarial environment.

🥰Try…

1. Encouraging your child to help prepare the new brand of a favorite food. Get them involved and keep the atmosphere light and happy.

2. Away from mealtimes, encourage your child to explore the new brand…cut it up with fun food cutters or child-safe scissors and really get to know it. Make it familiar over time.

✨Be consistent. When your child is tolerating the presence of the new brand, you can begin to serve a

few pieces of just that brand and not the other. Be sure there is still something else for them to eat on

the plate too.

❤️Parent patiently – this one takes time! TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS - I want to know - what’s your biggest frustration about always needing one brand of a favorite food?

❤️Learn more baby, toddler & big kid tips about food and by following @mymunchbug_melaniepotock
#melaniepotock

#pickyeater #pickyeaters #pickypicky #parentingtoddlers #toddlertrouble #feedinglittles #feedingkids #ashaigers #slpmom #pediatricfeedingdisorders #pediatricot #slpeeps #feedingtherapy #feedingtherapist ...

mymunchbug_melaniepotock

May 29

❤️How to Explain Memorial Day to a Young Child?

Parents.com shared terrific advice on this:

Three to seven year old kids “likely need parents to explain the meaning of Memorial Day in simpler terms. (Becky) Reback says defining the word "memorial" helps give kids a foundation to grasp what "Memorial Day" means. She suggests using the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary, which provides clear and concise definitions. It defines "memorial" as "something (such as a monument or ceremony) that honors a person who has died or serves as a reminder of an event in which many people have died."

After reading this definition to your child, Reback suggests giving them an example of a memorial they've seen before to help them understand. "If there is a monument in a local park, point that out," says Reback. "Maybe they have a rock in the backyard that remembers a pet who died. That's a memorial, too."

Then, Reback recommends bringing the conversation full circle. "Tell them, 'On Memorial Day, we honor, which really means to celebrate and remember, the Americans who died in wars…America chose to fight in. Some people chose to fight for our county. They died in the war, and we remember them,'" she says.

Source: https://www.parents.com/holiday/memorial-day/traditions/patriotic-ways-to-celebrate-memorial-day-with-kids/
#melaniepotock #memorialday

❤️How to Explain Memorial Day to a Young Child?

Parents.com shared terrific advice on this:

Three to seven year old kids “likely need parents to explain the meaning of Memorial Day in simpler terms. (Becky) Reback says defining the word "memorial" helps give kids a foundation to grasp what "Memorial Day" means. She suggests using the Merriam-Webster Learner`s Dictionary, which provides clear and concise definitions. It defines "memorial" as "something (such as a monument or ceremony) that honors a person who has died or serves as a reminder of an event in which many people have died."

After reading this definition to your child, Reback suggests giving them an example of a memorial they`ve seen before to help them understand. "If there is a monument in a local park, point that out," says Reback. "Maybe they have a rock in the backyard that remembers a pet who died. That`s a memorial, too."

Then, Reback recommends bringing the conversation full circle. "Tell them, `On Memorial Day, we honor, which really means to celebrate and remember, the Americans who died in wars…America chose to fight in. Some people chose to fight for our county. They died in the war, and we remember them,`" she says.

Source: https://www.parents.com/holiday/memorial-day/traditions/patriotic-ways-to-celebrate-memorial-day-with-kids/
#melaniepotock #memorialday ...

Follow Melanie on Instagram