Whether you’re new to staying at home for long periods or homebound, the pandemic and various restrictions and lockdown have brought both unique challenges and unique opportunities. For kids and their families, some specific issues may arise that are more difficult to navigate.

So far, we’ve taken a look at Helping Kids Understand Coronavirus and Routines and Schedules while Safe at Home. In this article, we are going to explore some issues surrounding food, eating, and mealtimes when families stay home for longer periods of time.

Food Challenges For Long Home Stays

Many parents and caregivers have likely experienced issues around food; for a lot of children, rigidity around food (or more simply, picky eating) is a common behavioral trait. However, sometimes children encounter more intense issues, such as unusual eating patterns, rigid food selectivity, and ritualistic behavior around food.

Some children will favor a narrow selection of food and sometimes only specific brands will be accepted. And some children and teens can be very sensitive, not only to the taste of foods but also to the appearance, color, smell and texture.

For many of us, there may have been a temporary disruption in the availability of some foods in stores due to the lockdown and a change in shopping routines. This may have caused problems for children—for example, if a child only likes a particular brand of bread and that bread becomes unavailable, then anxiety may follow. Furthermore, if that child makes toast with that particular bread every morning you may be confronted with a refusal to eat breakfast.

Tips for Parents and Caregivers

If your child already has some challenges around food and feeding, these are not going to disappear during our time at home—if anything, they may get worse. However, with all this together time available, this is a great opportunity to plan, connect, and set up some healthy habits.

Stock Up

While we’re not encouraging you to buy the entire toilet paper aisle, stocking up on your child’s favorite foods during the pandemic will be necessary, where possible.

As physical distancing is a key part to slowing down the spread of the virus, buy larger quantities of your child’s specific foods and treats when you shop. This will also increase your safety as you won’t need to go out as often.

Special Shopping Hours

Some large stores have introduced specific shopping hours to help protect the elderly and vulnerable. Find out if you are eligible to shop for your family during these times. Often the stores are restocked to help ensure certain sectors of society can get the foods that they need.

Connect at the Table

Try to have most, if not all, mealtimes sitting around the table together. Avoid distractions at mealtimes. Laptops, handheld game consoles, mobile phones etc should not be brought to the table.

If your child is not used to eating at the table in a group, start small and be patient. Just sitting at the table for a few minutes initially is enough. Gradually build up the time spent at the table.

Ensure that meals are served around the same time every day.

Set up the routine of handwashing before and after every meal. This encourages good hygiene and also signals the beginning and end of mealtimes for your child.

Building on Foods

Build on foods that your child already likes and accepts. For example, if your child will eat white rice, start by changing the brand. Then gradually change the rice by mixing a tiny bit of brown rice in. Once this is accepted, add some cheese or a favorite vegetable.

Be flexible and have fun at the table. Depending on the age and ability of your child allow them to ‘get messy’ to handle and play with the food.

There may be more pronounced behavioral issues around food and eating during these times. However, try and stay calm and focus on the meal rather than the behavior.

Closing of Favorite Restaurants and Cafes

If part of your child’s daily or weekly routine is a trip to a favorite restaurant or cafe, the closing of these local places can have a huge impact.

For example, 17-year-old Sam*, cared for by his parents, usually visited his favourite fast food joint twice a day.

Sam’s father would drive to the restaurant in one town where Sam had a drink, and then to the restaurant in the second town where he would have ice cream. After the closing of the sitting areas in those restaurants, Sam and his father still visit that franchise twice a day.

Sam has a drink in the car (in a cup with the franchise logo) at the first restaurant, and nothing at the next restaurant because it is closed. However, just visually seeing the restaurants are closed is enough, for the time being, and Sam’s anxiety and distress have been significantly reduced.

This is a great example of creative and adaptive parenting. The ritual of the car journey and visiting the restaurant is maintained, a similar drink in the familiar cup helps too and meltdowns, so far, have been avoided.

Another creative mom of five-year-old twin boys created her own ‘drive-thru’ in her living room! This mom, worried about the impact of the cancellation of her twins’ favorite weekly outing, managed to get toys and packaging from the restaurant and makes her own ‘Happy Meals’ once a week.

Get Creative

While some drive-thrus remain open in Canada, a fun night in could include fries from the grocery store, and paper bags and bottle squeezers from the dollar store.

If possible, find recipes that are similar to your child’s favorite restaurant food or snack, and recreate them in your own kitchen. Disney has publicly released their Dole Whip recipe, and some other crafty cooks have made some at-home equivalents of Disney park foods.

Try to source or make packaging that is similar to your child’s favorite brands.

Present the food on the plate or table in a very similar way to that of the favorite restaurant or cafe.

If you don’t have all the ingredients, make the main part of the meal and substitute just one or two ingredients.

Do not expect new food to be accepted straight away. You may need to introduce it many times. Be patient and persevere.

Recreate the atmosphere of the restaurant or cafe by using a few decorations, logos or music. Make a menu, with the foods that you do have in your kitchen and allow your child to choose.

Make the experience fun; relax and enjoy the novelty of creating a home safe restaurant or cafe!

Food Diaries and Social Stories

The risks surrounding food and eating during our time staying at home are present for most children. An increase in snacking, for example, is a real possibility as the fridge and food cupboards are constantly available throughout the day and evening.

Conversely, for some children with eating problems, not achieving a balanced diet or adequate food intake is equally as concerning.

Below are a few ideas to help manage these issues:

TheHomeschoolScientist.com has a printable food journal, as well as other great printables for academic activities.

Create and maintain a food diary for your child. Note down what foods they eat, how much, whereabouts they are in the house and at what time throughout the whole day and evening. This will make it easier to assess overall eating patterns and nutritional intake over the course of the day.
Involve your child, where possible with a food diary. Create a visual food diary for them to look at. Any new foods can be added as a picture, drawing, magazine cut out or photo, which may encourage trying new foods.
Ensure that set meals and snacks are included on the daily schedule and that you stick to them. If your child repeatedly asks for snacks then you can visually show them when during the course of the day is the time for that.
Do not be too rigid with the food rules initially. Introduce them gradually, be patient, relax and have fun.
Make use of social stories on the subject of food and drink. There are a few free resources out there, for example, I Need to Try New Foods. In addition, there are social stories you can purchase, without breaking the bank. For example, Social Story: Eating and Drinking Little Book
Alternatively, you can make your own social story or enroll the help of your therapist or coaching team.
If you are worried about your child’s nutritional intake over our staying at home period, contact a specialist therapist or your care provider. Many therapists, including us, are still working and offering advice over the telephone or videoconferencing.
Use support groups for tips and advice about food issues and eating during our stay at home period. Find one or two groups and use that support, 15 Indispensable Websites for Parents of Children with Autism

Staying as Cool as a Cucumber

The above information is intended to serve as a guide only. We recognize that each and every child, parent, caregiver, and family situation is dynamic and unique. Take any of the advice that you can use or adapt to your situation according to your child’s age and ability.

Parents and caregivers: Look after yourselves too, eat well, drink lots of water, try and find time to relax, ask for help if needed. Do not be too hard on yourselves, you may lose it from time to time, you may not make progress every day, you will have bad days. Give yourself a break and a pat on the back. You are doing an awesome job!

References

Bandini, L. G., Curtin, C., Phillips, S., Anderson, S. E., Maslin, M., & Must, A. (2017). Changes in Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 47(2), 439–446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2963-6

*Name was changed to protect individuals.