Making Mountains out of Mole Hills with Picky Eaters

Having a child who is picky eater often means daily frustrations for moms and dads as they become overwhelmed with being a short-order cook, having their day revolve around what their child will eat and when, or struggling to have their child tolerate and eat “normal” foods.  It’s also hard to know whether your child’s pickiness is part of typical development, as toddlers often do display some finicky eating, or if there are some underlying sensory integration difficulties. For a child with sensory integration difficulties, there may also be other areas of sensitivity and aversions and it may be best to follow-up with your occupational therapist for additional insights and treatment ideas.

Below are some ideas of strategies to try at mealtime to assist your picky eater in increasing his interest and independence with feeding:

·        Allow your picky eater to explore with and play with his food.  Eating is a whole-body experience in which we need to first become comfortable with the sight, smell, and feel of foods.  By engaging in food play (painting with applesauce, washing plastic cars with pudding, having a tea party and feeding small farm animals), you are providing an experience that is “safer” to explore textures and providing the opportunity to taste new foods without the pressure that can arise at mealtime.  Getting messy is okay!

·        Encourage your child to get more involved with food preparation.  A child is more likely to try things he has helped make.

·        Introduce new and different foods with foods of interest and in a sequential non-threatening way! Using divided plates can be your friend and encourage your child to initially just tolerate the new food on his plate. After a few days, work on touching the food.  Once he is comfortable to touch it, I would ask him to bring it to his lips and pretend to kiss it. Once he is successful with that, you may work towards licking the food and eventually taking a small bite.  Keep in mind that research shows that children can take up to 15 times of trying a food before they swallow it and or truly determine if they like it or not.  Don’t give up the first few times!

·        Once you find a particularly successful food, try introducing similar foods. Some things to be aware of are the texture, color, temperature, and taste of foods.  Try slightly changing one of these items (i.e. moving from Goldfish crackers to cheddar bunnies; moving from chocolate pudding to chocolate and vanilla mixed pudding; trying  level II baby food to level II baby food with mashed cheerios).

·        Learn to love condiments! Dipping foods is a wonderful way to work on expanding on tastes as you can try such condiments as ketchup, salad dressing, mustard, barbecue sauce, gravy, spaghetti sauce,  whip cream, chocolate, cottage cheese, yogurt, creamy soups.  You can then work on introducing a variety of things to dip including crackers, fruits, vegetables, chicken nuggets, and fries.

·        Count on inconsistency. For young children, what they will eat and how much they are willing to eat may (and probably will!) vary daily.

·        Engage your child in oral motor play.  Whistles, bubbles, vibrating toothbrush, blow toys, chewy tubes, sucking through a straw…all of these provide opportunities for your child to engage in mouth play in order to build up his muscles (for chewing and swallowing) and to decrease the sensitivities he may have around his mouth.

·        Provide consistent praise and positive reinforcement.  If he played with it, smelled it, licked it, tasted it, chewed it and/or actually swallowed it…praise him for what he did!  Don’t punish what he didn’t do.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of setting a good example yourself!  Eat together as a family, eat in front of your child, and provide opportunities for him to try something on your plate if he would like.  Keep in mind that it may take your child a long time to feel comfortable with trying new or different foods and I say make mountains out of mole-hills when it comes to feeding!  Small successes are huge and both you and your child deserve to celebrate small break-throughs.  Continue to consult with your occupational therapist for additional mealtime strategies and/or a nutritionist if necessary.

Keira Gathers, MOT

Occupational Therapist

Up and Down and Round and Round

Rocking my 2 month old baby girl to sleep each night reminds me of how important our vestibular system is to the well-being of ourselves and our children.  Clara specifically enjoys her swing, being bounced by daddy, and rocking and swaying with mom.  While the vestibular system can be our greatest tool as parents for calming our children, daily activation is also vital for the promotion of its healthy development. 

As a child, I struggled with various activities related to vestibular functioning, including car sickness, inability to tolerate roller-coasters and enjoy amusement parks with my friends, and aversions to various playground equipment.  Use of regular, structured vestibular activation can prevent and reduce these types of difficulties that can be so limiting to a child’s scope of play.  Fun vestibular activities include:

-          Sit n’ Spins

-          Games such as “Ring around the Rosie,” “Duck, Duck, Goose,” or “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”

-          Rolling down a hill or an incline

-          Performing forward and backward rolls and other gymnastic activities

-          Various swings

-          Rocking and Jumping

-          Scooterboards

-          Teeter Totters

-           Playing “Simon Says” and having your child move their head into different positions, such as touching their toes with their head down or shaking their head from side to side or up and down. 

These activities are especially valuable because they provide the child with control, which helps to decrease overstimulation.  Providing the child with proprioceptive input through heavy work before and after these activities will also prevent the child from becoming overstimulated.  Heavy work activities involve moving one’s body against resistance and include activities such as pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, and weight-bearing.  A few heavy work options include:  pushing the laundry basket or a wagon, wheelbarrow walking, animal walks, climbing, hanging, tug-of-war, crawling, and jumping.   Oral motor heavy work is also beneficial, including sucking, blowing, and chewing.  All of these heavy work activities can be helpful prior to activities, such as riding in a car, that you know may be difficult for your child to tolerate or after any dizziness or motion sickness has occurred. 

Children love to move and they love having that special time to play with mom or dad.  These activities can also be fun for siblings to play together or during play dates .  So, have fun with it and find a game everyone can enjoy!  

Dana Elliot, MS, OTR/L

Smile for Me!

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month!  While we all know that our children should brush their teeth two times per day, for some of our kids, getting a toothbrush even near their pearly whites is impossible!

Try some of these strategies to beat the tooth brushing battles!

·        Make it part of his daily routine.  Always do it in the same place at the same time with the same expectations.

·        Do some heavy work before going into the bathroom.  Maybe wheelbarrow walk or crab walk to the bathroom.

·        Massage the outside of his mouth and his cheeks with firm pressure prior to brushing.

·        Provide deep pressure with textured finger puppets or washcloths around his mouth and cheeks.

·        Try some heavy work with his mouth by biting on foam bath letters, refrigerator tubing, chew tubes, NUK brushes or other safe mouth toys. (Always offer these with supervision to prevent choking.)

·        Don’t feel like he has to stand at the sink.  Allow him to sit in a chair, lie on his stomach, or even do it in the bath if that is a fun time for him!

·        Have him wear a weighted vest or a compression vest while brushing. If you don’t have one of those, fill a long sock with rice or beans, tie the end up and drape it around his shoulders while he brushes.

·        As always, give him a sense of control by choosing which tooth brush or which tooth paste he would like to use that day.

·        Try a vibrating tooth brush.  He’ll either love it or want nothing to do with it.

·        Consider trying different bristles- soft, medium or firm.

·        If a toothbrush is impossible try a thin, wet washcloth, NUK brush, or infant gum massager, then work towards the toothbrush.

·        Characters do count!  Distract him with fun characters on the toothbrush or toothpaste. 

·        Give a time frame expectation:  the length of a song or until the timer rings.  Sand timers work well for those children with auditory hypersensitivity.

·        To ensure thoroughness, have him brush for a count of 10, then you brush his teeth for a count of 10. 

·        Sometimes the brushing sound of the toothbrush may be bothersome.  Try music or other noise to distract him.

·        Reward him with a sticker chart or other motivating tools.

 Hopefully you'll both have something to smile about!

Michelle Yoder, OTR/L

Engage with your child! It's great for both of you!

As a new mom, I have found that the most important thing in my life is now my child.  But, I also have so many other responsibilities, and often feel as if I just don’t have enough time to spend with him.  I know this is just the beginning, and this is a common feeling for the working parent and the stay at home parent.  So, whenever I am able to spend time with him, I want to make the very most of it…and I certainly don’t want to forget these times (they do grow too fast!).

While I spend time with him, I am quickly reminded that you should always get down on the child’s level when talking to him/her.  So, I do.  We lay on the floor and we play together.  We do tummy time together, we play with toys together, and we read together.  As he grows, I grow…and we continue to take steps together in this wonderful journey of life.  I challenge each of you to spend five minutes each day getting down on the level of your child.  We call on them all day to step up, and follow us; but, we need to stop and take a lesson from them.  They have so much to teach us…laughter, humility, peace, compassion, love, and the list goes on…

Amy Bumgarner, MS, OTR/L

The Power of Touch!

As I complete our bath time routine with my children, I think about how much we enjoy this time together.  Following their baths we spread out their towels and they each get a massage prior to dressing.  This is the time when my 5 year old son and I talk about his day. It’s also the time my 21 month old daughter tells me all the new words she knows.  This is daddy’s time to bond and have the kid’s full attention.

Infant/child massage is a great way to increase bonding for Mom or Dad.  It is very simple to incorporate into your nightly routine and has lots of benefits.

Benefits of massage:

·         Relaxing/ calming

·         Improve sleep

·         Hydrates skin (especially this time of year)

·         Attachment/Bonding time for parent and child

·         Increase their blood flow and lymphatic circulation

·         Enhance child’s body awareness through visual, tactile, and proprioceptive input.

What you need:

·         Oil- Think edible.  Smaller children tend to suck on their fingers and toes.  We don’t want to introduce chemicals we wouldn’t want them to have.

Ex. Olive oil, sunflower oil, or vegetable oils.  Also non scented is important to aide in the bonding process and to not trigger any allergies.

·         Towel or blanket both to protect the floor and keep your child warm if needed.

·         Your child.  There is no set amount of time that you should massage.  Listen to your child and watch for cues they are enjoying the massage.  Go with the flow and have fun with your child.

Where to start:

·         Legs and feet

·         Stomach

·         Arms

·         Back

Find what works for you and your children.  They don’t stay this small for very long so enjoy every minute!

If you are interested in a free infant massage class, please contact us!  Classes will be held Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m.

Brandon Scott, COTA/L, LMBT

Make it Count!

After reading Peter Gorman's article in The Charlotte Observer about the crisis that Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools is facing, it is clear that more than ever before, our children's education is largely our responsibility.  And, like he said, what happens now directly affects our children far beyond 2011.  So, how do we make the most of our homework time?   

Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is that the child has to be at an optimal state of arousal to sit down and do homework.  This means he can't be too excitable or full of energy, nor too tired.  As well, kids need to move! So, before beginning homework, spend 10-15 minutes doing a large muscle activity such as push-ups, animal crawls, yoga poses, etc.  Allow him to chew bubble gum and take frequent movement breaks throughout homework, as well.  To foster learning and retention, incorporate movement into the lesson.  For instance, if he is learning to write numbers, have him draw them out on the sidewalk with chalk or form them in the air.  Then, have him write them on the homework page.  If your child is learning basic math facts, have him say them out loud while soldier marching or performing jumping jacks.

The other factor is that we cannot fill our children's schedules too full. While having well-rounded children is important, we have to leave time for good old fashioned play and homework completion.

And,as always, limit screen time!

Michelle Yoder, OTR/L

Attention Santa's Elves!

Every year I have parents that ask me what they should get their children for Christmas that will foster developmental skills and be fun and the same time. Before you begin your Holiday Shopping take a look at some of my favorite toys that will foster sensory integration, gross motor, bilateral integration, motor planning, fine motor and visual motor skills.

There are toys that span many age groups, as well as across many developmental categories. I have tried to limit them to two categories, although some would fit in every category! Also, shop around as I’ve noticed that prices vary considerably.

Sensory:

·        Crocodile Rocker

·        Hungry Pelican

·        Fropper

·        What’s in Ned’s Head?

·        Moon Shoes

·        Hoberman Sphere

·        Yogateers

·        Belly Bump Ball

·        Bubblin’ Glitterbug

·        Insta-Snow

·        Double Light Show

·        Pin Art

·        Glow Light Jar

·        Hop Ball

·        GBOP

·        Wheel Roller

·        Young Artist’s Toolbox (Toys to Grow On)

·        What’s Inside?  Soft Feely Box

·        Pop Up Tent

·        Inflatable Ball Pit

·        Mini-Trampoline

Gross Motor:

·        Fropper

·        Moon Shoes

·        EzyRoller

·        GBOP

·        Mini Trampline

Bilateral Integration:

·        Flying Turtle

·        Hoberman Sphere

·        EzyRoller

·        Wheel Roller

·        Ball Blaster Arcade Game

Motor Planning:

·        Flying Turtle

·        OGO Sport Disc

·        Rectangle Puzzle/Circles Puzzle

·        Yogateers

·        Color Magic Sticker Book

·        Hop Ball

·        Creative Mosaic Puzzle

·        Imaginets

·        Magnetic Mosaico

·        Rainbow Mosaic Pattern Puzzles

·        Box of Castle Blocks

·        Bristle Blocks

·        Pop Fly

Fine Motor:

·        Mighty Magnets

·        Blokus and Blokus Trigon

·        Hungry Pelican

·        Alex’s My Giant Busy Box

·        Mr. Mouth Game

·        Glide Game

·        Imaginets

·        Magnetic Mosaico

·        Avalanche Fruit Salad Game

·        Rainbow Mosaic Pattern Puzzles

·        Bristle Blocks

·        Box of Castle Blocks

·        Young Artist’s Toolbox

·        What’s Inside?  Soft Feely Box

Visual Motor/Visual Perceptual:

·        Blokus and Blokus Trigon

·        Alex’s My Giant Busy Box

·        Mr. Mouth Game

·        I Spy Eagle Eye Game

·        Rectangle Puzzle/Circles Puzzle

·        OGO Sport Disc

·        Find It

·        Color Magic Sticker Book

·        Hearth Song’s Three-In-One Doorway Target Game

·        Pin Art

·        Creative Mosaic Puzzle

·        Glide Game

·        Imaginets

·        Rainbow Mosaic Pattern Puzzles

·        LIFE Spot the Differences Puzzles

·        LIFE Picture Puzzles

·        Highlights My First Hidden Pictures Books

·        Pop Fly

·        Ball Blaster Arcade Game

If you would like us to help you identify something special for your child, just let us know!

Happy Holidays!

Michelle Yoder, OTR/L