Feeding Evaluation - Tuesday afternoon

This afternoon we had a slight change of pace from our normal therapy sessions... we all headed in for a parent review and assessment appointment.

We are slowly making inroads on Emma and lowering her hypersensitivity, but now it was time to get some changes happening in the family food dynamic.  We need to start making meal times more structured and less stressful for Emma (and for the rest of the children - when James plays up, it makes Emma feel overwhelmed).  

Firstly, we were advised the whole family would be coming in tomorrow morning for Food School.  We were to bring in foods that simulate a typical meal in our home and Lainy would start teaching us the proper way to have a meal.

Also, we were informed that we had to start making meal times for positive and productive for the children.  It was stressed to us, that we had been doing nothing wrong, but unfortunately a lot of parents are not taught about proper feeding techniques.  

Back in the olden days (he he), we were taught, sit at the table and eat everything on your plate.  And that was fine then, but now with so much different foods (and fast food taking over) and variety our way, and also the hustle and bustle of family life, families have forgotten about feeding times.  

Due to Emma and her food issues, we ALWAYS made sure that once a day we all sat down together and had a meal, and when the boys were having lunch and/or breakfast, I always made sure Emma was involved, but all this needed tweaking.

Our new schedule.  Lets feed the children every 2 and a half hours.  And NO snacks in between.  We now have the proper feeding chairs that we ordered and a high chair for Jasper (which we will be donating to the clinic when we leave), and we sit the children down, and they all get a plate of food which contains, one starch, one protein and one fruit/veg.  It sounds difficult, but its not really in the scheme of thing.  The starch can be a handful of crisps, or a packet of tiny teddies - so the boys can still have their treats.  For Emma we need to give her a plate of the food the boys are being given, and a bowl of her salt and vinegar biscuits, and her tinkerbell (fortisip) - and off we go....

So now we are armed with a new feeding routine, and time to implement.  Its very difficult when we are not in our normal home environment, but we are doing the best we can.  We are also working on new coping techniques with the children to allow a more positive feeding experience.  

So many different facets and aspects we are studying... but we are loving it. 
It is only Tuesday, and we are already overflowing with information again.  :-)