The Feeding Relationship

Just wanted to share this informative article on how to start a good "mealtime" relationship with your child right from the start- infancy!

ZERO TO THREE: The Feeding Relationship

Since I have been working in an early intervention setting for the past 9 years, I truly agree that the beginning is the time to start promoting bonding and healthy mealtime habits. This article gives suggestions for the child who is not medically fragile. Unfortunately, so many of the medically fragile children that I work with for occupational therapy have LOTS of feeding & bonding issues from the start: living in the NICU vs. going home, tube feeding vs. oral feeding, oral aversions, surgeries, etc. When that is the case, there are many things that can be done by the family, nurses, therapists, etc. to help make sure bonding takes place and that feeding issues are resolved as much as possible in that particular situation. I always let the family know that the baby loves them, not me, and therefore I can show them how to feed, massage, or play with their baby, but it is the family members that need to do those things on a daily basis which just reinforces a stronger attachment on the part of the baby and the adult/family member!