#347 - Helping Kids Love Mealtime: OT Tips for Feeding Success

by Jessica Hill, COTA/L & Rachel Harrington, COTA/L, AC February 12, 2025

#347 - Helping Kids Love Mealtime: OT Tips for Feeding Success

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Helping Kids Love Mealtime: OT Tips for Feeding Success

In today’s episode, we dive into some real-life feeding strategies that Jessica recently discussed with a fellow OT who’s working with a client struggling with picky eating and meal-time resistance. 

Feeling stuck in a rut? You're not alone! Sometimes it just takes a good brainstorming session to unlock fresh ideas.

We cover practical tips and strategies, including:

  • How focusing onone meal a day can improve family engagement around the table.

  • Fun and motivating ways to get a picky eater excited about meals (yes,fun really does help!).

  • The power of consistency—how building a daily habit can change everything.

  • Giving kids more responsibility in the kitchen and around meal prep, from grocery shopping to cleanup.

  • Moving away from grazing to structured sit-down meals (and why hunger can actually be a good thing in some situations!).

  • Ways to switch up therapy routines to keep feeding sessions fresh and engaging, like using sensory bins, changing environments, or giving kids more control.

If you’re working with kids on feeding challenges, or just looking for some fresh perspective, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can try today. Tune in for an honest, practical conversation on making mealtime a little less stressful and a lot more fun!

Check out all of the links below! 

We’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form ->https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 

Links

All Things Sensory Podcast Instagram 

Harkla YouTube Channel

Harkla Website - Shop Sensory Products!

Harkla Instagram

Book: Food Chaining (Amazon)

More resources for picky eating 

 

 

 

 

BORING, BUT NECESSARY LEGAL DISCLAIMERS

While we make every effort to share correct information, we are still learning. We will double check all of our facts but realize that medicine is a constantly changing science and art. One doctor / therapist may have a different way of doing things from another. We are simply presenting our views and opinions on how to address common sensory challenges, health related difficulties and what we have found to be beneficial that will be as evidenced based as possible. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or your children. Consult your child’s pediatrician/ therapist for any medical issues that he or she may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Rachel Harrington, Harkla, Jessica Hill, or any guests or contributors to the podcast, as well as any employees, associates, or affiliates of Harkla, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.

Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.

Jessica Hill, COTA/L & Rachel Harrington, COTA/L, AC
Jessica Hill, COTA/L & Rachel Harrington, COTA/L, AC

Rachel Harrington, COTA/l, AC, CPRCS, and Jessica Hill, COTA/L, CPRCS are Harkla's in-house Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA) and Certified Primitive Reflex Clinical Specialists. They have been working with children for over 6 years in outpatient settings. They specialize in creating easy-to-digest, actionable content that families can use to help their child's progress at home. Jessica and Rachel are the in-house experts, content creators, and podcast hosts at Harkla! To learn more about Jessica and Rachel, visit the Harkla About Us Page. Make sure to listen to their weekly podcast, All Things Sensory by Harkla for actionable, fun advice on child development.


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