Welcome to Love, Eat, Thrive: The podcast designed to help parents nurture confident eaters today and raise healthy eaters for tomorrow. We are Heidi and Jennifer, feeding therapists who’ve been in the field for a few decades. We’ve seen it ALL when it comes to kids and food, and we’re here to help you make sense of it. As the winter holidays approach, many parents and caregivers feel the mix of excitement and stress that comes with packed schedules, disrupted routines, and a season full of special foods. It’s easy to get caught up in the details, but stepping back and zooming out can help bring the focus back to connection, enjoyment, and shared experiences. We're here to remind you that, during the holiday season especially, kids don’t need perfect meals or ideal nutrition. Instead, they need presence, flexibility, and support. Prioritizing the bigger picture makes space to enjoy what truly matters.   Holiday mealtimes come with unique challenges, especially when sweets and treats are more abundant. Restriction often backfires by increasing a child’s desire for certain foods, but also by interfering with their ability to tune into and pay attention to their own body.  Children learn through experience, including moments when they may eat “too much” and feel the natural consequences. Those consequences are an important part of developing internal cues. On the flip side, pressure to try or finish foods can sometimes work, but more often leads to greater pushback and dislike of those foods, sometimes in a very vocal way.      The foods themselves are just one piece of the puzzle. Kids also pick up a lot from the atmosphere around them. Talking about diets, body size, or “good” and “bad” foods can make meals feel stressful or confusing for kids who are just learning about food and their bodies. Helping shield them from that by setting gentle limits with family, steering the conversation elsewhere, or chatting together afterward, goes a long way in building a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. During the holidays, a little planning can make everything feel calmer: making sure there’s at least one food your child feels safe eating, thinking ahead about travel and timing, grabbing small moments of one-on-one connection, and remembering to take care of yourself, too.  In the end, it’s not about how much or what your child eats. It’s about everyone feeling supported, connected, and able to breathe a little. You’ve got this! Happy holidays, from our table to yours!    ** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.**    Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com