Top tips for successful mealtimes with paediatric OT Rachael Smith

Rachael is a mum to her daughter Olive, a Paediatric Occupational Therapist, and the owner of Therapy Time, a private practice based in Brisbane.

Even before having her own family, she has always been passionate about taking a big picture approach to child development. Rachael strongly believes that what we eat has a huge impact on everything and sees this everyday in her clinical practice (and at home).

Meal times are a big deal for our little ones, and they require a lot of sensory, fine motor, oral motor, and behavioural skills. With her gentle, kind and empowering approach Rachael equips parents with a toolkit full of responsive, evidence-based and family-centered strategies.

In this podcast we cover:

• What is particular eating and how do we know if what our child is exhibiting is normal or a red flag?

• What age can we expect ‘fussy eating’ or particular eating to start (and finish?!)

• Top tips for reducing the likelihood that a child will become a fussy eater?

• The division of responsibility and other helpful strategies for reducing mealtime anxiety for both parents and children

• and so much more.

Some additional resources we. mention or you might enjoy

• Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street by Felicita Sala

Follow us on instagram @boobtofood to stay up to date with all the podcast news, recipes and other content that we bring to help make meal times and family life easier.

Presented by Luka McCabe and Kate Holm