Parental Mental Health Month

The month of March brings awareness to Parental Mental Health, a hugely important topic, particularly regarding raising a child experiencing Paediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD).

A quote from Feeding Matters, an organization raising awareness of PFD, said “Nothing can prepare you for being unable to feed a hungry child”. The toll that having a child who cannot eat, who is having medical complications or who does not eat is hugely stressful. We are often blinded by the perception that children will just be able to eat whatever is placed in front of them, creating a great deal of stress when this does not happen.

A young child will tend to be offered food every 2-3 hours during the day, if feeding is not going well, every 2-3 hours is a time where parents often feel overwhelmed, stressed, disheartened, angry, frustrated, and isolated.

Our top 3 tips:

– Creating a network for yourself, of family, and friends who you can safely share your concerns and frustrations with (but only giving advice if that is what you need).
– Before meal and snack times, take a moment for yourself to take some deep breaths to regulate your nervous system. A dysregulated parent cannot regulate a dysregulated child and regulation must occur prior to eating.
– Know that you are not alone and there are professionals out there to support.

We see you; we are here to listen and support you through this very challenging and stressful journey. A recent article from Silverman, Erato, & Goday, 2021 explored the concerns that feeding challenges have on caregiver stress.

Silverman, A. H., Erato, G., & Goday, P. (2021). The relationship between chronic paediatric feeding disorders and caregiver stress. Journal of Child Health Care, 25(1), 69-80

Rebecca