Common Mistakes Parents Make: How to Start Good Eating Habits

For many parents feeding their kids is a bit overwhelming, especially in the beginning.  It's really straight forward when they are babies, right?  Milk, then baby food.  Simple. Things start to get a little tricky when real food is introduced and the bottles and baby food are weened away.  Those babes turn into toddlers and the eating transition can be challenging.  I'm not just talking about how to get them to start eating table foods, I've already covered that in another post (How to Transition Your Baby to Table Food).  It's all the other things that come along with this transition like when, what, and where to feed them.... when and how do they feed themselves... how long should they sit in a high chair... etc.  Okay, if you weren't overwhelmed already, I am probably overwhelming you now!  Obviously, I am going to walk you through the most common mistakes parents seem to make and how you can avoid them to get your kid's eating started with a good foundation.  They are mostly simple things that the Pediatrician doesn't have time to tell you or may not even know.  

New Article Index for the First Blogiversary

To you faithful followers, it has been too long, much longer than I would have liked, since I last posted.  As those of you following along on facebook know, I have been dealing with constant acid reflux like pain in my upper stomach despite various treatments. I have been  busy trying new diets, supplements, and medications in my brief hiatus.  Unfortunately, I still don't have any answers for my own health, but I didn't want my very first Blogiversary to slip by unnoticed because I am so proud of Your Kid's Table and all that has been accomplished in this monumental year.

I am a committed goal-oriented person, and starting this blog a year ago was a decision that I did not take lightly. I read books and talked to anybody and everybody that would listen about blogging. My subject matter, feeding kids and sensory play was a cinch.  I could write endlessly about that, and still feel that way after a year's time.  It has been a great, busy, and yes, successful year. My original goal with the blog was to help out some friends that were struggling with the many eating issues and feeding milestones we all face as parents. I wanted a consistent resource that covered it all.  I think I am on my way to achieving that goal, and I am proud of that.  I never could have imagined the amount of work that went into blogging, even though the books clearly said it would be.  I am really grateful for all the people that have been so supportive and helpful over the last year.  Mostly though, I feel tremendously blessed that my little blog has helped so many of you out there.  When I receive an email or a comment with your success stories, it humbles me and inspires me to keep the blog train rolling.  Thank you to all of you that have taken a minute to share your stories.

I have big plans and mountains of ideas for what's to come on Your Kid's Table. I am excited to see what the next blogging year will bring.  How about you, what would you like to see on Your Kid's Table?  Could I organize something better, improve the site in some way, or is there a topic you would like me to cover?  Leave a comment (I really do love hearing from you) and let me know!

As part of my blogiversary celebration, I am also announcing my new Article Index.  I don't know if it just me and my type A brain, but I wanted a place where you could see every post I have written in one spot.  It is so annoying to search blog archives or scroll through pages of old posts.  I have placed the link to the page right in the top menu sandwiched between the Consulting Services and About Me links.  I organized all the posts by topic, like "Picky Eaters", "Developmental Milestones", "Sensory Play", etc.  There is some overlap as some posts apply to more than one topic. I hope this helps you all find everything and anything you could be looking for easily!

Since I don't post on a regular schedule, make sure you sign up for the email subscription (near the top of the right sidebar), it couldn't be easier!

Happy First Blogiversary, Your Kid's Table!

How Meal Planning Can Help Picky Eaters: Guest Post at Super Healthy Kids!

Many of you following along here at Your Kid's Table or on our Facebook page know that I love meal plans. Wonder how it might help a picky eater or problem feeder in your life? Well, I got the scoop on that over at Super Healthy Kids today.  I am thrilled to be guest posting there, as many of you know it is an amazing site full of wonderful resources related to healthy eating for the whole family.  Don't be shy when you hop over, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

How Meal Planning Can Help Picky Eaters!

5 Reasons Kids Refuse to Eat

People ask me all the time, "Why doesn't my kid eat?"  Most of you know how frustrating meal time can be when you try something new or worse when you serve something they've eaten before and then refuse to eat! Most kids will do this occasionally, but for some it is a way of life.  So, what gives? Well, a variety of factors can contribute and the reasons can evolve over time.  There is value in doing some detective work because getting to the root of the problem will then give you the tools to help them eat more food, more consistently.  In my experience and specialized feeding education,I believe there are 5 different reasons kids refuse to eat.  At the same time, it is common for several of these underlying issues to affect a child's ability to eat well at the same time.  Keeping that in mind, let me a explain in some more detail...

10 Awesome and Affordable Sensory Toys

It is the holiday season, which leaves many parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles on the hunt for toys a child will treasure.  It can be challenging, to say the least!  I have compiled a list of my top ten favorite sensory toys that any child could enjoy.  Of course, this list could be extra helpful for a child with Sensory Processing Disorder or Autism. 

I have some unusual toys that you surely won't come across in your local toy store and some unexpected every day items.  Plus, I've got every budget covered, from big ticket items and unique stocking stuffers priced between $3-80.  I have included a brief description of each toy and how it will give your child sensory feedback.  If you need a refresher on sensory processing or some of the terms I am using, click here for my sensory basics page. 

Why Won't My Baby Eat?: Managing Silent Reflux

Today Sarah from Frugal Fun for Boys is guest posting here at Your Kid's Table.  She is a homeschooling mom to four boys and a violin teacher.  Two of her little guys experienced acid reflux as babies. Today she is sharing their journey in discovering silent reflux, diagnosis, and treatment of the symptoms.  Reflux affects many babies and children, which can have a huge impact on how and what they eat.  Sarah has more posts about reflux over on her blog, so be sure to check it out after reading this wonderful and informative post.

In the spring of 2009, I was expecting my third son, Owen. As a veteran mom, I figured that I pretty much knew what to expect. My first two boys were terrible at nursing at first, but we worked through those challenges, and they both went on to be chubby babies who were good eaters and grew well. I expected that my third son would follow the same path.

Well, that wasn't what happened.

Introducing The Early Childhood Specialists Pinterest Board!

As any of you following me on Pinterest know, I am now part of an amazing group board-

Early Childhood by The Specialists.  Our hope is that this board will be a trusted resource for parents and professionals, as the few of us that are pinning to the board have specialized experience in early childhood development.  If you look over the short list of contributors, you will find occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, educators, physical therapists, psychologists, and special educators.  

Everything that is pinned on The Early Childhood Specialists board has been carefully selected through the lens of professionals with years of experience working with young children.  By following the board, you can rely on quality child development pins, many of which have detailed descriptions about specific developmental skills. 

I am thrilled to be collaborating with these knowledgeable ladies.  Make sure you check out their blogs and individual pinterest boards, as they too are wonderful resources.

Here are some of the special contributors:
Kim of Little Stories
Katie of Playing With Words 365 
Kristina of Toddler Approved
Deborah of Teach Preschool
Laura of Play Dr Mom 
Christie of Mama OT
Melissa of Imagination Soup
Mary Frances of Teach Speech
Stacy of Starfish Therapies

Head over to Pinterest and follow us now!  There are already over 100 amazing pins, with much more to come! 

Easy Feeding Tips...From My Table to Yours

Our family is in a huge transition right now.  11 weeks ago we moved in temporarily with my mother after selling our house before we could move into our new one.  I knew there would probably be set backs in all areas of my 2 year old's life.  Our routines are different and the dynamic with extra adults around has changed mealtimes in particular.  I have always considered my nearly 3 year old's eating to be pretty good.  However, since we have been in this state of limbo and I have been managing more difficult behaviors in other areas (aka pooping in his underwear), I have let his eating slowly decline.  It's not like I didn't see it happening slowly, but I kept telling myself, "It will be better when we move into our new house.  We will get back to our routine."  I was hoping we would be moving in 2 weeks.  Now it is pretty certain that it will be another 4-6 weeks.  I decided, finally, that his eating needed addressed now, it couldn't wait any longer.  I wanted to share with you some of the strategies that helped me rope his eating back in-- quickly! 

Some of these strategies I have discussed before and some are quick tips to get you thinking.  More than anything, I want you to get a feel for how I problem solve through feeding challenges at my table, in the hopes that you can apply some of the same strategies at your table.

How Much Sugar is in Your Kid's Food?

Sugar.  We know our kids shouldn't have a lot of it.  We know cookies, cake, and soda are loaded with it.  If we only give our kids those high-sugar special foods in moderation, then we are moderating their sugar, right... Sadly, the answer is no!  Many of the everyday foods we feed our kids are loaded with sugar, even the food that seem to be "healthy".  So what am I referring to?  Well, nearly every single kid yogurt on the market has 3-4 teaspoons of sugar in a single serving.  Think about that for a minute.  Imagine taking the little teaspoon you measure with in recipes, and dipping it into the sugar bowl 4 times.  Then imagine placing all that sugar on your kid's yogurt before they take a bite.  It is kind of staggering when you start to think about it.  So what do you do about it?  What other foods are hiding sugar?  How do you know how much sugar is really in the foods you feed to your family?  It is a lot to think about!  Read on for answers to all these questions and more...

22 Fall Sensory Play Ideas

Yeah! Today is the first day of October, we are now into the full swing of fall!  There are so many wonderful opportunities to explore new sensory experiences in this season of change.  

I have said many times before that sensory play is more than just a texture bin, although those are great, too.  Kids are able to take in sounds, smells, sights, and even movement as forms of sensory input.  Today, I have 22 wonderful fall sensory play ideas, many from around the blogosphere.  Plenty to keep you busy this month!  I will highlight some of the not-so-obvious sensory input your kiddos will be getting with these activities along the way.  Here's to a sensory-filled October!