The Feeding OT

06/01/2024

All the Greens! 💚💚💚
Learning about food does not only mean eating it. If your child is not up to seeing green on their plate at mealtimes, start where they are comfortable.
➡️ looking at a picture and talking about what they look like
➡️ watching you, away from the table, exploring and playing with the food
➡️ joining in the play (at their own pace), still away from the table
➡️ at mealtimes, noticing the food to the middle of the table (with no cue from you)
➡️ at mealtimes, watching you play and interacting with the food from the middle of the table and deliberately choosing not to eat it
➡️ at mealtimes, joining in the play, with no pressure to eat it
Being comfortable, and in control, with space, a demonstrator and no pressure…. This is where the magic happens and this is what builds curiosity.
Where is your child at now? Are you finding it tricky to know where to start with helping to enhance your child’s interaction with food?
Amanda’s books are open again, with some spaces for Home Visits or Telehealth sessions available in Term 1!
For more info, follow the link in bio. Or head to our website…. www.thefeedingot.com.au

07/04/2023

Satay chicken to suit the WHOLE family… it doesn’t have to include fancy serving bowls but, by deconstructing your favourite meals, you may just find that the whole family can enjoy ONE meal together and you are out of kitchen quicker. 🙌
Someone might choose just the rice and a tiny spoon of sauce. Someone might choose chicken and the carrot from the veggie bowl. Someone might have a little from all, but choose to eat it all separately. We all have different taste buds and we all learn differently… and this is just the way to accommodate for this while looking after yourself too!
Be sure to always include a food your child can and will eat and remember: once served to the table, it is up to the child to decide how much and whether they eat

26/10/2022

How do you celebrate food?
For our anxious eaters, mealtimes can be stressful and a first step to make them less stressful for them (and for you) is find a way to celebrate food together with them. ***Research shows: increased stress can suppress appetite***
What about an adventure, doing something they love (bike riding, bush walk, park play) with some afternoon snacks they love and you could enjoy together?
How would your child (&you) describe their emotion during this meal?
Sure, it might not seem you are making progress to those fruit and veggies but, you are creating a fond mealtime memory and this can lead to more curiosity and opens up the opportunity to learn about more foods.
Head to website for some great ideas for picnic spots in Newcastle!

08/09/2022

Hello 👋 and welcome to The Feeding OT. I am Amanda, sole Occupational Therapist and the one you will talk to you when you call or email The Feeding OT.
As you might have guessed, I have a love for food, working with kids and hanging out with parents. I love brainstorming with parents and kids about what is and isn’t working and magnifying the “is working” as, I believe this is where the positive change happens…. There is nothing better than watching happy, interactive play!
I draw on years of experience as an OT and when I felt a spark of passion in working with families on feeding goals, I have never looked back… this is where I belong.
To learn more about me and what I can offer through The Feeding OT, head to my website - www.thefeedingot.com.au
I look forward to having a chat with you soon!
📧 [email protected]

25/08/2022

It seems a little silly that the changing around of these two words can have so much impact on perceived pressure for your child…. But it is true!
Yes, we do want to make sure we “ask” for permission and yes, we do want to make sure that the child is making their own decisions and is control at mealtimes.
BUT….
If we ask questions we are putting doubt in their mind…. “I don’t know… can I?” And for our little ones in flight or fight mode, it’s an easy ‘no’ answer which we always need to respect.
What would happen if….
You gave statements to instil confidence and build on their determination and ‘can do’ attitude instead?
Why not try it tonight?
✨✨✨
Try using statements, along with demonstration of you doing the same fun action, such as…
“You can put the pasta on your finger too”
“You can pop the pea with your finger like me”
“Look I made a tower with my carrots, you can make a tower too”
✨✨✨
And have fun!

20/08/2022

SERVING TO THE MIDDLE OF THE TABLE AND PLATTERS
✨✨why we love them ✨✨
Research tells us that children (well all people) are more likely to explore and experiment when they are calm and in control.
By placing food in the middle of the table or on a platter, we are inviting a child to interact but moving the pressure or overwhelm they might feel if it was placed right in front of them, on their plate. Especially if it is a new food on not YET preferred food.
❗️This method won’t always work straight up for some children, e.g. kids who are currently triggered by seeing the food or currently offended by the smell. We would introduce a few more steps in these cases. *see website for more details*❗️
✅✅✅
If you feel your child is up to experimenting with family meals and/or platters to the middle of the table, here are for HOT tips:
🔆Always make sure you offer at least one of your child’s preferred foods (and be happy if they only eat this)
🔆use demonstration and discuss how you will serve yourself
🔆be prepared for some interesting concoctions and encourage this - we all have different tastebuds!
🔆it’s ok to serve in lots of small plates / bowls for the kiddos who don’t like food touching
🔆don’t be afraid to serve unfamiliar and new foods, remembering just looking at them is progress and, you never know what might happen when they see you enjoy yours!
✅✅✅
👉👉I look forward to hearing your stories and all about your deconstructed family meals!👈👈

13/08/2022

|| The Mealtime Feels ||
Right now, you are doing the best with what you know. You’ve tried many things. Some things have worked, some have not. Your heart throbs with love for your child and you just want the very best for them.
We know this and we know you are your child’s expert.
That’s why, when you come to The Feeding OT, we ask a lot of questions and let you do lots of the talking…. Our first session being Telehealth, without your child, so you feel free to explain exactly what’s happening.
We will help you navigate, we will help you play detective. You will feel more empowered every time you leave our sessions. Until you feel like your “tool box” is full enough for no more sessions.
If there is any stress or difficulties at mealtimes, then something is not working and you don’t have to navigate this on your own, we are here to help.
For more information about Feeding Therapy 👉👉 check out the link in bio.
To refer your child (6mths - 5years) complete our referral form on our website and we will give you a call to chat and book in a session with you, if appropriate.
We look forward to working with you, your child and your village.

28/07/2022

Tiny Food and Tiny Cooking…. It’s just so hard to resist!!!!

The Feeding OT shared a post on Instagram: "Tiny food and tiny cooking…. Well who doesn’t love it?? ✨It’s a great way to inject some novelty in food play ✨making the food for the “toy tea party” or others is much less intimidating than cooking food we think we might have to eat ✨it e...

21/07/2022

So lovely to catch up with Mel from Love Parenting Newcastle…. So much passion sharing ✨

MEALTIME STRESS

Amanda who you might know as The Feeding OT came by to cuppa and chat yesterday. 🫖

Heck I love when someone lights up that hard over the work they get to do. 💥

Tell me.... what part of feeding your family do you find most stressful?🙋

Let's find a standout theme that she and I can make a video about for you. 🎥

21/07/2022

| STEPS TO EATING |
When you first think about eating and feeding your child, you might think eating is an easy process… pick it up and put it in your mouth… nope, not so.
Eating is more complex than that, in fact, Kay Toomey (SOS Approach to Feeding) talks about 32 STEPS TO EATING.
Before we physically eat a food, we have likely progressed (albeit quite quickly for some) through 32 steps and processes including:
👉Tolerating it in the same room, on the table, in their space
👉Interacting with it in preparation or using a utensil
👉Smelling it in the room, on the table or leaning in to smell it
👉Touching it with a fingertip, whole hand or the lips
👉Tasting it by licking or biting a small piece of and spitting it out
AND FINALLY
👉Eating it including chewing and swallowing it
So… even if your child is not YET eating a food but is willingly (and on their own accord, without pressure) interacting with the food in any of these ways, they are STILL learning about the food and they are still progressing. So take a breath and relax just a little.
Keep exposing, keep demonstrating and keep making it fun, without pressure.
We realise it is easier said than done sometime which is where Feeding Therapy can step in - we can help to guide your child gently through the steps and educate you, the parent/caregiver, on how to progress your child while still maintaining their trust and curiosity.
For more tips with meeting yours and your child mealtime and feeding goals, contact The Feeding OT….
✨Phone Amanda 0406255541
✨Email: [email protected]
✨www.thefeedingot.com.au

18/07/2022

✨ HAPPY MEALTIME LOVE ✨
Yep, this photo is staged… seriously whose dinner time meal ever looks this good?! 😇

It actually doesn’t matter what your dinner time looks like at all,
BUT… if the feels are there 🙌

This picture has the feels of light, fun-filled happiness, the enjoyment of being together and the connection between parents and child.

This is what we strive for in The Feeding OT and it might be more achievable than you think.

Contact us now (link in bio) for more information or to book an appointment.

09/07/2022

✨It looks ✨
….Square, shiny, long, skinny, circular, thin, small, large, like a triangle, soft, fluffy, speckled, light, bright, silky, smooth, dotted, juicy, bright, vibrant, happy, red, blue, green, yellow, like the sun, crunchy, hard, sparkly.
Positive food describing words are always hard to think of “off the cuff”so, here you have it, a few more to add to your list 🙌😉
HOT TIP: encourage positive describing words to increase the ‘appetite’ for further food interaction, e.g. smooth and silky rather slimy.
How do you use them?
✔️As always, start with demonstration and talk about your own food, be curious
✔️Start with your child’s familiar foods to help them get confidence in the “looking game”, and realise we are not asking them to eat
✔️Food can still be described from books and magazines or on the bench far far away 😉… this is still very valuable interaction and is sparking curiosity
✔️Listen to what your child has to say, as the way they communicate it may give you and their therapist a little more insight to what’s holding your child back.
✔️Remember this should be a fun game for your child, if it is forced in anyway we might need to make a few little changes to meet your child where they are at and comfortable first.
For more information and/or advice contact Amanda at The Feeding OT.
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.thefeedingot.com.au