Is your child not eating because: they won`t or can`t eat?

Charmaine Champ Author

When a child is refusing or avoiding food it can be difficult to know how to help. Within this blog we share where to start in helping.

Food provides our bodies with energy, to keep us warm, promotes growth and repair of our internal and external organs. Food is needed on a daily basis to provide us with different nutrients to stay healthy. 

The types of foods consumed, aswell as when foods are consumed have a direct impact upon the way we respond, our moods, emotions, behaviours, the ability to settle to sleep and our intestines with the types of wees and poos passed.

Eating food regularly is a great starting point for us all.

To help our children with eating we first need to think about us as parents and carers. We first need to look after ourselves and ensure we are eating and drinking regularly to look after our own internal and external bodies. This then means we are prepared and ready to help our children.

Won`t or Can`t Eat?

When a child is refusing or avoiding eating, the behaviour, the action often appears to parents and carers as a child, "won`t" eat. When we feel that a child "won`t" eat our responses can be to encourage our children to stay sitting at a table until a meal is finished. Or encourage a child to go without dessert, until their main meal is finished. 

When a child is refusing or avoiding eating they are communicating a difficulty or something they are struggling with, either internally or externally.

Eating is a sensory experience. Eating senses include the smell or the aroma of food, the sound, the feel or consistency and texture, the taste, the ability to sit, aswell as sit long enough to finish a meal and recognise if they are hungry or not. 

Senses influence a child's eating and mealtime experience. 

When a child is struggling with either internal or external needs, this means a child "can`t" eat. Our responses as parents and carers then change accordingly to support and identify body and emotional needs.

Where do we start in helping our children with eating? 

• Identifying what obstacles may be preventing our children from eating, considering our childrens eight senses. 

• Identifying the internal need of poos, influencing what a child can and can not eat, by Knowing the type of poo our children pass and their Poo Pattern. Click on our "Do you know your child's poo type?" Blog post for further information here: Blog Post 
• Identify your child's patterns, eating and pooing connections with the FREE Gut Health Tracker: Gut Health Tracker 
• Following the FREE Download: Where to start with eating? Where to start with eating?

How can Clear Steps Consultancy help your child with with eating? 

Charmaine, at Clear Steps Consultancy supports children with and without a diagnosis, additional needs, their families, schools, organisations, charities and professionals in progressing and being successful with Toileting, Sleeping and Understanding Behaviour.  Support available to help children with their eating, is as individual as the children, families and schools themselves, from one to one Parenting Support Packages to Comprehensive assessments.

Parenting Support Packages provide in depth discussions with you as parents or carers and a step by step individualised plan shared of where to start.

Comprehensive Assessments, includes a comprehensive Behavioural Assessment Package. The comprehensive behavioural assessment package is three separate comprehensive assessments, direct observation, discussion with your child's school, monitoring charts, analysis of all findings, in depth comprehensive outcome report, summary, recommendations sharing why the difficulties are occurring and more importantly how to help your child.

For further information and support, feel free to contact Charmaine direct via the website: Clear Steps Consultancy 

Help and support is available!

Start helping your child with eating today! 

Categories: : children with additional needs, eating difficulties, sensory needs and eating, Toileting