Is this your child?
Does mealtime sometimes feel like a daily struggle?
Below are the things parents describe to me again and again. Read the list and see how many you recognise — then know that none of them mean you are doing something wrong.
Does your child…
Eleven signs that mealtimes have become harder than they need to be.
Recognising two or three is common. Recognising most of them usually means the difficulty is not about a single food — it is about routines, feelings and the whole environment around eating.
- Says “I don’t like it!” before even taking a bite
- Eats only a few favourite foods and refuses to try anything new
- Resists vegetables, fruits or other nutrient-dense foods
- Asks for snacks, sweets or processed foods instead of the meal you have prepared
- Turns mealtimes into arguments, negotiations, pleading or frustration
- Seems to have very limited food variety
- Makes you worry about whether they are getting the nutrients they need
- Barely touches the nutritious meal you have spent time preparing
- Has irregular eating, sleeping, screen or daily routines
- Experiences stress, anxiety or negative emotions around food and mealtimes
- Leaves you wondering, “Am I doing something wrong?”
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.
You don’t need another set of rigid food rules. You need practical, personalised guidance that considers your child, your family and your real life.
- No extreme diets.
- No rigid rules.
- No guilt.
Why it is rarely just the food
A refusal at the table usually has a reason behind it.
Sleep, screens, snack timing, how the day has gone, how mealtimes feel, what the rest of the family is eating — all of it shapes what a child will and won’t accept. That is why the coaching looks at six things together rather than handing you a food list.
Let’s make mealtimes easier
Bring me the list you just read.
Every child is different, which is why the first conversation is mostly listening — to your child’s habits, your family’s routines and what you have already tried.