End Mealtime Battles.
Grow Food Preferences.
Being a parent is more of a challenge than
most of us realize until we become a parent.
Getting our kids to eat, sleep, poop and listen
can easily consume the first several years of their life.
That’s why I believe in the African proverb,
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
No one parent can be an expert in
all areas of a child’s life.
And you don’t have to.
I’ve been helping parents end mealtime battles
and teaching children to like new foods
for nearly 20 years as an occupational therapist.
When I became a new parent I quickly grew exhausted and overwhelmed.
I frantically pulled out all the books and handouts I had about sleep and eating.
Of course real life never works exactly like a textbook, but I was so grateful to have resources easily available.
I knew if I had a plan, I wouldn’t have to rely on my exhausted mommy brain to problem solve when bowls of oatmeal became a messy spa treatment like this.
I soon discovered that basic behavioral strategies can help every mom get through meals.
Techniques I used to help children with sensitivities to food textures taught my wild child to learn to like a variety of fruits, nuts, meats and vegetables.
My second child was pickier than my first and was also quite small, so I really relied on the program I had used for years to help under-weight children eat more at each meal.
Once I saw my pickier child consistently loving greens, eggs, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds and just about any meat, I became convinced that every mom can benefit from learning this program.
Then I started to wonder, “What do parents who are not feeding specialists do?"
"How do they get through this?"
Then momma bear came out in full force.
I asked myself, “Why are parents only given access to this information AFTER their kids eat fewer than 15 foods or show serious problems gaining weight?!”
“What about all the moms out there struggling, trying everything they can think of and still ending the day feeling defeated?”
That’s when my view of my role as a feeding specialist expanded.
I realized I need to bring this information to moms everywhere BEFORE their children have problems gaining weight, growing or have such a limited diet they can’t eat what’s served at school, parties etc.
I am a pediatric occupational therapist who is certified through the National Board of Occupational Therapy and licensed by the California Board of Occupational Therapy. I came to San Diego in 2001 to work for Children's Hospital and Health Center where I was fortunate to receive mentoring in the advanced practice area of pediatric feeding. While at CHHC I successfully helped children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Failure to Thrive to expand their food repertoire to over 30 foods. Additionally, I worked with children on G-tubes to decrease oral sensitivities and transition to oral feedings.
I have worked in numerous school districts throughout San Diego county where I ran feeding groups and trained preschool staff to safely encourage a wider range of foods to be eaten during snack times.
In 2005 I began working in families homes where I gained a greater appreciation for what it takes to raise a child who struggles with eating. It became clear to me that there was an emotional component faced by both children and parents. This led me to continue my education in the areas of emotion, learning and communication by becoming a certified Master Practitioner and Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Clinical Hypnosis and Time Empowerment Techniques This allowed me to assist families with a comprehensive therapy approach.
In 2009 I renewed my training on the S.O.S. (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach® to Feeding. Since then I have presented on the topic of feeding difficulties to Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, ABA Specialists, Infant Educators as well as Dietician students.
I am passionate about helping children succeed. It brings me great joy to see children realize they are capable of much more than they thought. I enjoy working with families to bring more fun, ease and calm into their lives. If you want meal times to be more enjoyable in your home please contact me for a free 30 minute consultation.
Becky Miksic, OTR/L, T-NLP, T-TET, CHt
Coming Soon:
We want a fun presentation that teaches parents practical strategies to end picky eating.
I’m looking for a career with End Picky Eating or AOTA approved classes.
So you cannot force your child to eat any more than you can force your child to fall asleep on command or go to the bathroom on command.
Learning how to work with your child’s natural design is the key to seeing your child willingly eat new foods.
You will always be the expert on your child.
How I can help is by teaching you how to apply the scientific details that impact your child’s eating so you know
what to serve,
how to serve it,
when to serve it,
and what to say
so your child eats enough nourishing foods at meals without the need for bribing or negotiating.
When the stress of meals melts away and you see your child willingly eating healthy foods, meals become fun and a time to deepen your connection with your child.
I can help you teach your child to eat a variety of new foods so you feel confident sending your child to school, on sleepovers or on camping trips, knowing enough of what’s served will be eaten.
It most certainly takes a village to raise a child.
I’m here to help you with the eating aspect of your child’s life so you can sleep better at night knowing your child has eaten enough to nourish a growing mind and body.
