02/22/2021
If you have a picky eater, you've likely heard or been told this, but we're here to bust the myth that kids won't starve themselves.
Yes, children have a natural sense of when they're hungry and when they're full and they often listen to that sense better than adults do.
However, if they don't have the skills to eat the foods they're given (such as oral motor difficulties, sensory processing disorders) or if eating is painful or associated with negative experiences (such as perceived pressure to eat, choking, vomiting, reflux), they will not eat regardless of how hungry they are.
In fact, this sort of "test" can contribute to their negative experiences and heighten the stress response associated with eating which will in turn lead to more picky eating and defensive feeding behaviours.
