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The School Cafeteria: Hurry Up and EAT

By Melanie Potock MA Most parents tell me that their elementary school child has 20 to 25 minutes to enter the school cafeteria, search for her lunchbox buried in a portable...

December 27, 2016
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Mar 23

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Don’t you feel like crying when your toddler is screaming over that banana that YOU sliced WRONG!🍌Or my favorite - “I WANT CRACKERS!!!” (That was my toddler’s battle cry for the longest time!)

😩Toddlers have big feelings and big emotions, sometimes over the littlest things (to us, anyway)! Tantrums are bound to happen, but how you respond can make all the difference to help toddlers feel secure.♥️Emotional outbursts are most often due to a child’s frustration over their limited ability to express their wants and needs.

😳Truthfully, sometimes, they don’t know themselves what they want and need! They just know THIS (whatever “this” is - the wrong size chicken nugget or the wrong color spoon or the wrong Disney princess on the cup or the wrong food on their plate) is NOT ok and they’re demanding that you fix it...NOW.

🧘🏻‍♀️Take a breath and remember my A, B, C’s when responding:

✨A: Acknowledge the feelings. “You’re frustrated that we don’t have crackers for breakfast. It’s ok to feel that way.”

✨B: Brave boundaries! Maintain your boundaries and parent bravely. “We’ll have crackers today when we visit the zoo.”

✨C: Choices help kids feel in control of their emotions. “Which lunchbox should we put the crackers in for our time at the zoo, the one with the picture of the truck or the one with the elephant?”

📚Learn more in my new book, Responsive Feeding: The Baby-First Guide to Stress-Free Weaning, Mealtime Bonding & Lifelong Health by Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP Just click the link in my bio to see all my books!
#melaniepotock #responsivefeeding

#feedinglittles #feedingtherapy #parentingtips #slp #pickyeaters #fussyeaters #ashaigers #eatoutwithkids #kidsmeal #parentingtoddlers #feedingtoddlers #toddlertrouble #feedingmykid #feedingtherapist #tantrums #toddlertantrums ...

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Mar 21

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🥳Shortly after the first birthday, toddlers should be losing that last inkling of the tongue protrusion (thrusting) pattern, because you skipped the spouted sippy cup and are weaning off the bottle. That’s
awesome!

😛But, if you still see that little tongue pushing between the lips when swallowing, try this trick that I developed years ago – it’s my go-to tip for any toddler who has just a “smidge” of thrusting pattern past 13 months of age.

✨Choose a domed pop-up straw cup, like the @lollalandusa Lollacup. Teach your toddler to drink from it “backward” which simply means flip it around. Now, their chin can rest on the “yellow” for added
stability, which makes it less likely that her tongue will peek out with each swallow. You should see the that less mature motor pattern fade in a month or so with this subtle change.

👉🏼For more prominent tongue thrust while eating, seek out the help of a speech pathologist who specializes in mouth development in young children.

✨The Lollacup has removeable handles, not pictured here. It’s fine to leave those in place if it’s easier for your child to grasp the handles while resting her chin on the “yellow.”

✨👉🏼✨Click the Amazon link in my bio to shop cups! #melaniepotock #originalidea
TAG A FRIEND WHO NEEDS THIS TIP 💕 ...

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Mar 19

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🤦🏼‍♀️Does your kid refuse to drink different types or flavors of milk? You can use my method for any transition to a similar drink, just take your time and wait for “THAT LOOK”😉

🥛I’ve been teaching this method for over 20 years, and the key to success is very careful measurement and writing it down. When you notice your child taking a sip and looking at the drink suspiciously, that’s when you pause. Stick with that ratio of the two milks for a few days until your kiddo is drinking with gusto again.

✨Now you’re ready to pick up where you left off, taking a teaspoon or tablespoon out at a time and replacing it with the new milk .

✨Change is hard for a lot of kids and taking it very slow eases them into a new taste. Some kids don’t need this study and consistent shift but if you have been struggling to transition your child to a new milk, give my strategy a try!🥰 #melaniepotock #originalidea

#sensoryplay #sensorytherapy #otmom #slpmom #pickyeaters #pickyeating #pickyeater #feedingtherapy #feedingtherapist #ashaigers #mytoddler #toddlertrouble #mypreschooler #fussyeaters #fussyeater #milkforkids #drinkyourmilk #ashaigers #responsivefeeding ...

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Sensory Concerns

The School Cafeteria: Hurry Up and EAT