If you need a little kids-who-are-picky-eaters help, you’re not alone. Dealing with picky eaters in your family is a headache that many parents live with — the tantrums, the crying, the ever-changing list of “approved” foods.
If you’re looking for a community of parents and caregivers going through something similar, Facebook is a great spot to start your search. There are many popular parenting Facebook groups out there that will provide you with a place to commiserate with your fellow parents and also gain extra tips, tricks, recipes, and other useful information for dealing with your picky eater.
Check out these Facebook groups for picky eaters and consider joining a few.
Parenting Picky Eaters
With nearly 50,000 members, the Parenting Picky Eaters closed group for parents is a safe space where you can find fellow parents, guidance, and — most importantly for some — privacy. The moderators employ a strict no-selling, no-judgment, and no-berating policy, for the most positive experience for parents possible. Plus, the moderators are actual professionals with experience working with children and children’s health, including a feeding consultant, pediatric dietitian, and children’s nutritionist and therapist.
Please Just Eat!
If the thought of joining a Facebook group with nearly 50,000 members stresses you out a little bit, you can also find quite a few Facebook groups for picky eaters that are on the smaller side, but they’re still active and valuable. One of these is the Please Just Eat! group (a phrase you’ve probably repeated over and over again).
The page focuses on recipes, tips, and tricks, and adheres to the advice set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Parents of Picky Eaters and Problem Feeders
If you like the idea of joining a group moderated and overseen by a professional, you may want to join the 2,600-member Parents of Picky Eaters and Problem Feeders group. Overseen by Beth Bonfiglio, a pediatric clinical nutritionist who founded Little Fusspot, a consultation and online program service aimed at fussy eaters, the group focuses on debunking kids-who-are-picky-eaters help and advice that just doesn’t work — whether because it doesn’t actually accomplish the goal of ensuring your child enjoys a well-rounded diet or because it might actually hurt your child’s well-being.
Real Help for Picky Eaters
A largish Facebook group for picky eaters, the Real Help for Picky Eaters group boasts a following of more than 15,000 members. Created by the founder of Your Kid’s Table and a pediatric occupational therapist, this private group offers tools and tips, including resources like free workshops and free e-books.
Picky Eaters Association
Been burned by parenting Facebook pages in the past? If you want to join a group that’s a little more exclusive and well-monitored, try the Picky Eaters Association group. After you request to join the group of approximately 7,000 members, you’ll be asked to answer some screening questions. Then, if you’re approved by the team of admins, you’ll be admitted to the group.
The cool thing about this group is that it doesn’t focus only on kids (though that’s definitely still a key component). Instead, it looks at picky eating as a whole, why it happens, how it happens, and how to remedy it.
Mealtime Hostage
The Mealtime Hostage group is geared toward parents of selective eaters, especially those diagnosed with SED (selective eating disorder) or ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder). Rather than focusing on how to “cure” your child, the group simply focuses on how to feed them well. It takes an anti-coercion approach and doesn’t support hiding foods in other foods, bribery, incentives, etc. It also asks members not to focus on whether a food is healthy/unhealthy or if a child is over/underweight. Rather, the group shines the light on what it calls a “responsive, trust-based approach to feeding.”
The support you need is out there
If you’re feeling a little lost and all on your own in this whole parenting-a-picky-eater thing, don’t. You can find support and community among your fellow parents if you just know where to look. Sure, some parenting groups get a bad rep, but take a chance on one of the above. It might just be exactly what you need to not only find a shoulder to cry on (we all need one occasionally), but also tips, tricks, and recipes that may work wonders for your child. Just remember to be courteous and respectful of other’s opinions, and you’ll be well on your way to finding a community of parents in similar situations.
