Description
Billy is a 3 year old boy who finds eating challenging. His parents continually worry about what he eats and how much he eats. They use all sorts of bribery and pressure tactics to make him eat. But their strategies don’t work. One day, his grandma has a good idea…
This book is for all parents who worry about their pre-schoolers and their food intake. The book is written for children aged 2-6 years, it is perfect in helping parents and children navigate the preschool challenges of fussy/picky eating. The last page includes top tops for all parents/caregivers to put in place at home.
The principles of the story use evidence based responsive feeding strategies. The book and illustrations have received the ESI (Ellyn Satter Institute) seal of approval.
“But I’m NOT hungry for my dinner” can be shipped worldwide and is available in softcover only.
Jenny McGlothlin, MS, CCC/SLP, CLC, Co-Author of Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating and Conquer Picky Eating for Teens and Adults –
What a gem! This sweet book is a must-read for any family who has a young child who struggles with eating. Not only will children identify with little Billy and his desire to avoid pressured mealtimes, parents can see mealtime battles through their children’s eyes and gain perspective about how their actions and words affect their child’s willingness to come to the table. This book illustrates how just shifting the focus of attention away from the food can help invite a child to the mealtime where they can tune in to their body’s hunger signals, become curious and interested in what is on the table, and enjoy their time learning about what the adults in their life eat. Creating a pressure-free space at the table for all the “Billys” out there is a lesson for families to have, and this book can serve as a conversation starter about other strategies that can facilitate eating development. As a seasoned feeding specialist, it’s wonderful to have a book like this to read with my patients and to recommend to parents. Bravo!
Brigitta Gleeson –
A must read for any parent who has learned to dread dinner time….!
Where has this book been….?? I have my very own Billy who likes to use every trick in the book to avoid eating dinner. We read this book together and ever since, he has consented to at least ‘trying’ one thing that is placed before him. After years of encouraging him through games, songs, blindfolded taste tests and a million other things – your book was the one thing that spoke to him and assured him not to be scared of dinner.
Valerie and Kirrili – thank you – you have CHANGED.MY.LIFE….!!
Suzanne Evans Morris –
I loved this book for its universal appeal to children, parents, and professionals. Most of us grow up with the belief that children will eat an “appropriate amount of food” at each meal. We often are taught that their level of hunger is the same for each day and each meal. When we become parents or professionals this hidden belief guides our actions with our children. As many parents tell us, they often feel helpless when their children say: “I’m not hungry”, “I don’t like that food”, “I’ve had enough; I’m all done”, or eat only a few preferred foods. They are uncomfortable and anxious about their children’s growth. When parents become stressed, they often push their children to eat, using a wide variety of invasive strategies. Mealtimes become a battleground. Gradually greater emphasis is placed on eating specific foods or a specific amount of food. Less attention is paid to the mealtime itself with its potentially wonderful opportunities for sharing, learning, and trusting.
“But I’m NOT Hungry for My Dinner!” shares the story and wonderful drawings of Billy and his family’s mealtime journey. Initially his parents do not believe or honor his statement of “I’m not hungry for my dinner!” Their worry, their belief that he must eat a specific amount of food, and their fears cause them to push Billy to eat. They try many different approaches, but Billy doesn’t even want to be at the table for the family meal. He prefers to play by himself with his toys and his vibrant imagination. Fortunately, his grandmother suggests a different alternative. She recognizes that mealtimes are about family connections, communication, and socialization. She invites Billy to come to the table with the suggestion that they would enjoy his company. There is no direct or indirect pressure to eat anything. They know that Billy is the one who decides whether he will eat and how much. As Billy decides to participate and share his interests and experiences with his family, he feels free to explore the food. He eventually decides to take some tastes and consider trying a new food. He knows his family trusts him to guide his own eating and recognizes that the most important part of the dinner time is sharing the mealtime with others . . . not whether he eats or not.
Suzanne Evans Morris, PhD
Coauthor of “Pre-Feeding Skills: A Comprehensive Resource for Feeding Development”
Skye van Zetten –
It is so refreshing to read a story about mealtime struggles that emphasizes the play-focused priorities of a young child and challenges the harmful assumptions that mealtime challenges are the result of bad parenting or naughty children.
“I’m Not Hungry For Dinner” describes the common family problem of a young child who is reluctant to join the family for their evening meal. Billy, an imaginative 3 year old would rather re-experience his experiences of the day through play and behaviour. Of course, Billy’s parents would prefer than he puts his playing aside and just eats his dinner. When Billy refuses, his parents become exasperated and respond by sending him to bed.
Fortunately, Grandma recognizes the parallel between Billy’s mother who shares a verbal description of her day and the playful behaviour that Billy uses to describe his. Grandma invites Billy to join the family – not to eat – but just to talk to him about his day.
Once Billy finds himself welcome at the family table and a part of the social experience, Billy feels less sad and anxious. He listens for a moment and then bravely attempts to participate in the conversation. Soon, Billy finds himself part of the social experience that is the act of nurturing connections with family.
It is from within this sense of safety and belonging that Billy is able to recognize the grumblings in his tummy and find some familiar food that he would like to eat.
The success of the meal is not what food Billy’s parents prepared or how much they were able to get Billy to eat, but rather the emphasis on how Billy was invited to participate and included in the family mealtime experience. Following the story are useful strategies to help families who are struggling with their child’s eating to create their own successful mealtime experience.