To ARFID or not to ARFID

I'm going to preface this with: I'm not an eating disorder therapist. Here is a great one: Ash Isenhower - ash@hellometherapy.com

Food is hard. Food is harder when you're the one in charge of it and your entire household is full of picky eaters, including yourself.

Recently, I was talking with another parent friend and we got on the topic of ARFID which is something that's been on my radar with an autistic toddler. I was assured: not yet. But food is hard. And I'm always worried because it's my job as a parent to just worry. Right?

Or maybe it's just my job as a parent to do my best. Maybe it's just my job as a parent to take care of myself and feed myself the best that I can and my kid will follow if that's their thing. But I am one person. And I will not be pressured into being anyone's end all be all. Even as a parent. Kids learn from all sorts of places. That's as it's supposed to be. They learn from their parents. They learn from their peers. They learn from their extended family, their chosen family, their teachers, and classmates. There is a whole world around my kid that isn't me. And that's as it should be.

So, yes, they eat noodles and popsicles for breakfast. And I'm squeezing meals in between. But we're nourishing ourselves with energy to sustain us throughout the day. And that is good.