Thanksgiving’s around the corner. It’s officially the Holiday Season. Cheer! Joy! Magic! And…. 

Stress. 

Your child’s eating is a major stressor in an already incredibly magical chaotic time of year. You know because you live it every day: when you have a picky eater, what they’re going to eat is just one more thing you need to take care of. 

I’ve shared tips for navigating the holidays before, but on a recent group coaching call, one Thanksgiving strategy in particular stood out.

Ready for it?

It’s feeding your child before the big event (even especially if the big event is a meal). 

So when you’re heading to Thanksgiving dinner, and in a few weeks, gearing up for the annual cookie swap or even just a festive Friday night at a friend’s, take the worry, wildcards and pressure AWAY by giving your kid food BEFORE you leave so they’re not hungry, anxious or hangry. That way, you can focus on the fun….and not on the fact that your child isn’t eating/only had crackers and candy/will be so hungry and cranky later.

Here’s the truth about picky eaters: atypical events, like vacations and holidays can be opportunities. Being outside of their norm might inspire your child to eat something outside of their norm (novelty can work wonders). 

Seeing their child independently eat something they never would have otherwise has happened for my clients nuuuuumerous times, but the tricky thing is, there’s absolutely no guarantee your child will try something new, eat well or even eat at all. Trying a new food is something you can hope for but not bank on.

So, my number one tip this holiday season is to set yourself up for enjoyment and minimize stress and pressure for EVERYONE by feeding your kid before the big event. 

That way any eating they do on the big day is just marshmallows on the sweet potatoes (the Thanksgiving version of icing on the cake, obviously!).  

More Thanksgiving tips for you: 

Food bridging: fries to mashed potatoes 

Scripts to prepare your child for Thanksgiving

How to have the best thanksgiving with your picky eater