Here's Why You're Triggered By Your Child's Picky Eating (and What You Can Do About It)

Lift the Shame: Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body Shame

Ever felt like you're standing on the battleground every mealtime, with your picky eater child on the opposing side? You might be surprised to uncover that the roots of picky eating can be traced back to our own childhood experiences and narratives. This episode uncovers the deeper issues that influence our reactions to picky eating, urging us to look at our own food traumas and how they affect our attitudes towards our child's eating habits. It's a riveting journey into understanding why picky eating can be so triggering for us as parents, how it impacts our family dynamics, and the significance of acknowledging our own food narratives.
Trigger alert! Dealing with our unresolved food trauma can lead to heightened reactions to our child's picky eating. This episode emphasizes the importance of recognizing our triggers and how understanding our own food story can help us in maneuvering through the maze of selective eating. In addition, we also examine how childhood experiences, neurodivergence, and unmet needs shape our relationship with food and our approach to our children's eating habits. We've also touched upon how our own neurodivergence, or that of our children, can affect our relationship with food, and how our needs as parents can often be overlooked.
This isn’t your regular advice episode. We're looking beyond short-term fixes and focusing more on raising intuitive eaters who can confidently trust their bodies. We're offering some valuable tips on how to create an environment of acceptance and understanding around food. But remember, it's not just about resolving picky eating, but also about understanding our triggers, practicing acceptance, decreasing our alarm responses, attending to our own needs, and giving ourselves grace.

Questions about today's episode or do you have topic requests for future episodes? Please send your feedback via email to [e-mail] or connect with Crystal on Instagram.

Chapter

1. Here's Why You're Triggered By Your Child's Picky Eating (and What You Can Do About It) (00:00:00)

2. Parenting and Picky Eating Issues (00:00:02)

3. Stressors of Picky Eating (00:07:38)

4. Trauma's Impact on Selective Eating (00:19:04)

5. Childhood Trauma's Impact on Parenting (00:24:15)

6. Exploring Food, Neurodivergence, and Unmet Needs (00:30:43)

7. Addressing Emotional Triggers in Parenting (00:34:08)

8. Tips and Guidance for Motherhood Journey (00:43:07)