How to help a slow eater, especially a picky one!

One common complaint about picky eaters is that they eat too slowly. Often mind-numbingly, the food could evaporate more quickly, slowly.

Children eating very slowly is very, very frustrating. Especially when we are tired, we are busy and often because we have other places to be or other things to do. This pressure keg can inadvertently create a control issue too.

Is this your child?

– They chat about anything and everything and there is zero focus on the food

– The food gets pushed around the plate or forms fantastical patterns, but little actually gets into the mouth

– They are up and down at the table and EVERYTHING is more important than the eating

– Food gets held in the mouth for an age

– You are looking at 30 minutes minimum for them to eat and generally it is double or triple that

What is ideal?

This all depends on the age of your child and what your family norms are. I do know that, in general, the majority of the food gets eaten in the first 20 minutes and very little after that. 30 minutes, for me, is a good benchmark for finishing a meal.