I always struggle to come up with the wording for workshops, particularly for parents.
Case in point, I met with some great parents and ECFE folks in Grand Marais. Some of the feedback I heard was how parents were happily surprised that I wasn't just another "food nazi" who would make them feel bad about not having everything organic, and not getting enough fruits and veggies into kids...
Don't get me wrong, I don't give up on, or poo-poo nutrition, but most parents know pretty well what they "should" be feeding their kids, and they are trying really hard, but things are getting worse.
All the pressure to do it "right" to get enough protein, the worries about nutrition and size make the jobs of feeding harder, not easier.
I think my message, and that of Feeding Dynamics is so different from the standard "childhood nutrition talk" that many parents don't know what to expect, and are put off in advance, anticipating more rules, more guilt and nothing useful.
So, I ask those of you who have seen me talk, or who know Satter's materials, or who follow this blog, or who feed with the Division of Responsibility in your own homes...
1) how would you explain to someone (as succinctly as possible) what feeding this way means...
2) how would you write a one paragraph note to tell other parents how this will be different from what you have heard before
3) how would you tell other parents that this looks like, feels like and works in your own home...
4) what title for an evening talk would grab you to give up a night at home to see what this is all about?
Because, I want to get the word out, I want parents to know it doesn't have to be so hard, I want parents to let go of the guilt and start where they are, I want parents to actually enjoy meals with their kids...
Here's my suggestions (at least for points 1, 2, and 4). And forgive my fascination with alliteration.
ReplyDeleteFood and Feeding- Fun and Fuss Free
Are you worried about organics, vegetables, and other things your children aren’t eating? Are you anxious about chips and cookies and other things your children want to be eating?
Join Dr. Rowell for a discussion about how to shift the balance of power to make meal times and snack times low stress- even fun. It all boils down to this: you decide what food to serve and when to serve it; your kids decide what and how much to eat. No one fights, whines, or worries.
By the way, during this discussion there will be no lectures on what your kids should be eating, no guilt trips, and no chiding. There will be easy, effective ideas about feeding your family in a way that helps kids learn how to grow up to have healthy, balanced attitudes about food.
Also, when you run out of blogging ideas, I'd love to hear you talk about what to do if one parent wants to implement the division of responsibility and the other wants to forbid desert without vegetables and require "tastes" of everything.
Johannah is a superstar. I wanted to say something similar, but it was already done so well.
ReplyDeleteI also love the question and can't wait to see the answer.
This is really for questions 2 and 4 - I'll address the others in another comment when I can.
ReplyDelete- Good Enough Feeding -
Tired of either spending hours thinking about your child's nutrition, or feeling guilty because you don't think you do enough? Worse yet, tired of both? Dr. Rowell will show you how to relax about food and foster healthy attitudes about eating without guilt or power struggles. The Eating Competence model developed by Dr. Ellyn Satter has been shown to produce healthier, happier kids who grow into adults with positive attitudes toward diet and health. Help your children learn to appreciate and accept a variety of food, including what you like and eat right now, while spending less time and energy trying to provide "perfect" food.
Katja~ I had an ECFE mom come up to me at Open Gym today and share her DOR success story. She was so happy with how it worked and even inspired another mom to try it tonight! Thanks again for showing us the light!! You are welcome up here anytime!
ReplyDeleteMaybe something like "Raising Healthy Kids Without the Struggle"? I think the most critical thing is the concept of getting rid of the eternal struggle at every meal - the battle of wills, the whining, the forcing, the wailing, the exhausted feeling afterwards, all the stuff that makes all concerned start dreading every meal - without "giving up on your child's health" or "being a bad parent" or whatever.
ReplyDeleteThis is what parents are desperate for, the assurance that there's a way to feed their kids that is healthy and doesn't make every meal a pitched battle between parent and child.