Episode 25: Comfort vs. Compliance

Happy New Year! We are so happy to be back in 2020 with new episodes and exciting guests! In this week’s episode, your hosts Jennifer and Heidi, will discuss the difference between when children find comfort in eating vs. eating for compliance. It can be very difficult for families to identify if the success they are seeing is due to compliance. Your hosts break down the evidence behind the reasons why children eat and what strategies help build long-term success. Many families share that it can be easy to fall into compliance “mode” while feeding their child and the focus can easily be on “getting” them to eat rather than giving them space. In past episodes, we have talked about responsive feeding and what that looks like, but we rarely discuss what the other side looks like. How do you know if a child is eating for compliance? What cues should you look for? Your hosts will break down the different cues you may see, and some strategies to try instead to help your child build comfort around food. This episode will also cover what progress looks like, how to reframe the word progress for families, and how to transition from a compliant environment to a comfortable environment. 

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook!