I have heard parents say this many times when we discuss the eating habits of their ''picky eater:'' ''Hes/she used to eat (preferred food), but not anymore! Now I can barely get them to eat or try anything new. He/she eats the same things over and over.'' Our family has been dealing with this at home with our two-year-old picky eater. ...

Schools are closed this week and little ones are home for the holidays! Today's post includes some new ideas to keep them occupied as well as some flashbacks to posts from the past! If you're staying in for New Years Eve this year with your little ones, why not plan out a fun, kid-friendly dinner that they can both help you make and ...

Are you stressed because the holidays are upon us and your child is a picky eater? Is every meal a struggle and is it even worse when you are sitting with your in-laws and family friends and can feel the tension thicken in the air? Well, hang on! Here are some tips to help you prepare yourself and your child for mealtime challenges that lie ...

During the month of December we have been celebrating the holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa at our preschool. The holiday of Kwanzaa, like any holiday, embraces certain symbols that embody the message and purpose of the holiday. Here you can find a complete description of these symbols, one of which is corn. I decided to use ...

At the preschool where I work, we teach about the three holidays of Hanukkah, Kwanza and Christmas during the month of December. As you may or may not know, each holiday has various foods that are an important part of the core celebration, just as turkey is a key part of any traditional Thanksgiving meal. Last December I shared two ...

Happy December everyone -- one of my most favorite months of the year! Time with family and friends, gift-giving and baking holiday treats fill our days and nights with fun! Today's recipe is one I would like to share that really represents what the holidays are all about! My 4-year-old nephew made this yummy treat at home with his ...

There is often no easy answer to address swallowing deficits in the elderly. I am sometimes approached by staff and families because a resident ''cannot swallow'' or ''is not eating/ drinking/ taking medications,'' but upon evaluation, I find no physical cause, but rather a cognitive-based problem. There are other patients who do have ...

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, I realize that many families and caregivers, as well as staff, struggle to include the elderly patient with swallowing or cognitive-communication impairments in the holiday celebrations. If Mom or Dad have swallowing or memory deficits, it definitely impacts the celebration. It's awkward to talk ...

Today I have two fun activities that can be easily incorporated into your Thanksgiving curriculum sessions! OUR THANKSGIVING TABLE First is a language-based lesson that talks all about ''What We Eat On Thanksgiving Day!'' Using boardmaker pictures, I put together a sentence strip that reads, ''I EAT ____ ON THANKSGIVING DAY,'' and ...

Before writing today's recipe post, I decided to take a quick glance back at my November blog entries from the past three years. In doing so I realized that I have not written many recipes for turkey time! This year at our preschool, we are preparing a pint-sized turkey day feast right before our Thanksgiving holiday break. We have ...