In Part 1, I explored why calling everything "picky eating" can lead us to miss what some children and families are actually experiencing - what ARFID is, how it shows up in real life, and why "wait and see" is rarely the neutral option it sounds like. Since that post, a few questions have come up. If my child is growing well, can it still be ARFID? What's the difference between eating or feeding differences and an eating disorder like ARFID? And finally, will things ever actually change?...

My Tween Is Sneaking Food. What it Means and What to Do? A few weeks ago, a mum asked me this while we were standing next to the sports field. She explained that she’d noticed her 11-year-old daughter sneaking food a few times lately. She’d found her in front of the freezer at night, eating ice cream straight from the tub. She’d also been finding chips/crisps wrappers tucked into school bags and chocolate wrappers hidden under the bed. “These foods are in the house,” she said. “But I normally...

Picky eating is one of the most common concerns parents raise about their children’s eating. And yet, it’s also one of the most misunderstood. As someone who works closely with families around eating differences, and who navigates this as a parent too, I see just how wide the range is. That’s why this topic can feel so confusing. One parent might describe their child as “fussy” because they don’t like green vegetables. Another might use the same word to describe a child who only eats Goldfish...