Washington Post

May 19

🤍By creating a calm and joyful space at mealtimes, you’re taking the first steps to raising a healthy, happy eater. That’s something to feel good about. I hope you’re proud of all that you do.

🤍You’ve got this — even the tiniest wins are worth celebrating.

🤍I’m here to help. Thanks for following me and have the most wonderful week with your kiddo!
❤️Melanie

#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #feedinglittles #pickyeaters #ashaigers #responsivefeeding #arfidawareness ...

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May 17

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🍼Bottle weaning doesn’t have to be hard, but it’s best for baby’s facial development (how their face forms) to wean shortly after baby’s first birthday.

👋🏼Hi, I’m Melanie, speech and feeding specialist with more than two decades of experience to help you raise healthy, happy eaters.

❓Why does repetitive bottle use impact how your toddler’s face forms? It interferes with how babies learns to swallow, preventing the tongue from rising up and pushing on the palate. The tongue expands the palate, which in turn forms the upper face and impacts the lower jaw formation too.

👉🏼Once you’re down to just one bottle before bedtime, offer just 3 ounces before bedtime with a story book and a favorite lovey. Quietly brush teeth, return for one more book and kiss goodnight.

💦Provide a spill proof water bottle beside the bed if needed – then eventually, stop the milk bottle altogether. Parent bravely – you can do it!

👉🏼Need more? Comment BOTTLE for a discount code for my on-demand Bye-Bye Bottles course! How about pacifiers??? Yep, got a course for that too. I’ll send you both!
🥰Melanie

#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #feedinglittles #ashaigers #bottleweaning #toddlertroubles ...

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May 15

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Kids under the age of 4 are at risk of choking on foods that require repeated CRUNCHING to break down. WHY? Because…

⏰Crunchy foods like chips (even thick potato chips ) or pretzels need time to begin to melt in the mouth, and lots of time to chew to help that process happen.

😳Kids don’t have great attention spans at this age to pay attention to chewing, and even if we give them smaller pieces of the same foods, the harder texture makes them more likely to lodge in the throat, block the airway, or even be inhaled.

🤔If you want to serve your younger child a crunchy snack, try a cereal like @cheerios that melts easily in the mouth after a few chews, or a meltable buttery cracker, or for kids over the age of two, a low sugar animal cookie.🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

🤍Everybody loves a crunchy snack! Just make sure to choose ones that are safe for your Littles.

🥰Melanie
PRO TIP: Encourage kids to swish with water after their crunchy snack. This helps to reduce the risk of cavities when it’s not possible to stop & brush teeth.🪥

#melaniepotock #notanad #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #feedinglittles #ashaigers #pickyeaters ...

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