Debra’s 8 Top Tips for Navigating the Holidays with a Picky Eater

The holidays are meant to be a joyous time filled with love, laughter, great food and time with the family. But if you have fussy eaters, you know their dinner mood can put a damper on the whole magic of the season.

Debra Beckman, Speech and Language Pathologist and Feeding Expert, shares her expert tips on how to navigate the holidays with your picky eater!

1. Have food available that your child likes and they are familiar with

2. Don’t shame or punish kids if they are unable to tolerate particular foods

3. Keep it familiar: Use cutlery, plates, seating, that your child is familiar with

4. Don’t disrupt their meal times, we know it's hard but try and keep to a routine as much as possible

5. This is your holiday too, if there's a particular toy or device that keeps your child happy, use it!

6. Include kids in the meal prep if they would like, they might surprise you with trying something new!

7. Don’t disguise new foods in preferred foods, it will make kids more cautious

8. Remember: the whole point of the holidays is to be together so stay relaxed and enjoy!

Happy holidays from all of us at Learn Autism!

Debra Beckman is a Speech-Language Pathologist, Feeding Expert, and the creator of Beckman Oral Motor Protocol. She’s the resident expert in Speech-Language therapy here at Learn Autism.