60 Day Picky Eater Program
A new way forward for your food-anxious child
‘Picky eating’ is a really common problem – research shows that it affects around 25% of children – and it is often written off as ‘just a phase’. However, for some children, it is not simply a tricky patch that they will move out of; for some children, the thought of eating foods they are not comfortable with is really, really scary. I describe these children as food-anxious.
I enable parents to understand their child’s responses to food as a coping mechanism, and I teach them how to help their child learn to eat a more varied diet. I have spent a year distilling my professional knowledge and experience into a comprehensive online program so that more parents can enjoy the relaxed and positive family mealtimes that they dream of.
Maybe you have tried following the kind of ‘picky eating’ tips other parents share or that you read online: you’ve tried using reward charts and incentives, you’ve tried distracting your child or telling them that they need to eat in order to be healthy. You may have looked for help in many places but not found anything that has worked. Like lots of parents in your position, you might be feeling desperate and that you have simply run out of ideas.
There is no quick fix of magic bullet and no single tip that will enable you to change your child’s relationship with food. What my course offers you though, is an in-depth understanding of ’picky eating’ and a blueprint for moving forward. Only when you truly understand your child’s eating (and your reactions to it) can you begin to make a change.
With the 60 Day Picky Eater Program you will get
Confidence
Confidence that you are getting it right in terms of your parenting – You’ll learn evidence-based approaches to supporting your picky eater so that even when times are tough, you will be able to feel sure that you are handling things the right way.
A fresh mindset
Many parents of picky eaters blame themselves for their child’s relationship with food. And actually, unfortunately society often judges parents too. In this program, you will learn that your child’s eating is not your fault. You are not part of the problem, you are part of the solution.
A roadmap to a varied diet
By the end of the course, you will have put together your own roadmap based on your child’s unique situation and needs, which takes you and them step by step towards the acceptance of new foods.
Less anxiety about your child’s eating
We all worry about our children’s health, and ‘picky eating’ is a problem that keeps many parents up at night. With this program, you will learn about how your emotional responses to your child’s eating matter, and how to manage them.
Stress-free mealtimes
Eating together as a family should be a really lovely, positive experience. For many families of very ‘picky eaters’ though, this just isn’t how things are. One of the key benefits students on this course express, is the relief that mealtimes can be relaxed and happy even with a child who is a very limited eater.
About ME
My name is Jo and I am a trained and registered counsellor and mum of three. When my eldest daughter was a toddler and I was working with teenagers with eating disorders, I realised that there were some similarities in how my young daughter and my clients were using food as a way of feeling in control. Of course, my daughter’s eating behaviours were not disordered, but it got me thinking and reading. Once I began to delve into the research into ‘picky eating’ and parenting, I was hooked.
That was many years ago now, and my tiny toddler is now a teen! Since that time, I have worked with lots and lots of families of ‘picky eaters’ from around the globe. I train feeding professionals all over the world. I am the author of two books (and a ton of articles) about ‘picky eating’, and I research it too; I am in the final months of my PhD about the psychology of parenting ‘picky eaters’.
There is lots of information out there about what to feed children, but not so much about how. I am all about helping parents understand the psychology of ‘picky eating’ and teaching them how to work with the behaviours and emotions that children have in relation to food. First I help parents UNDERSTAND their child’s eating, then I help them make positive changes. My approach is responsive, which means it is gentle and child-centred.
About The 60 Day Picky Eater Program
This is a six-module program is made up of twenty lessons that you will access via a members-only site. Each lesson features a short lesson video, a lesson summary and supporting worksheets for you to do. You can work at your own pace and you will have lifetime membership of the course.
On registration, you’ll get access to a private facebook group. Here, you can get to know other members and ask them (and me!) questions. We also love it when members share their wins, inspiring others on the same journey. Unlike my free facebook group (Parenting Picky Eaters) the course group is small and intimate, so you can feel comfortable sharing.
What’s inside the 60 Day Picky Eater Program?
Module 1 – Your Food Anxious Child
The first module of the course is all about food anxiety. I explain what it is and what can cause it. You’ll learn about the difference between anxious eating behaviours and developmentally normal ‘picky eating’, as well as how this might relate to your child. I’ll take you through some of the causes of ‘picky eating’ and explain why it is so important to understand what is underpinning your child’s eating behaviours. We get into a little bit of neuroscience in this module, as you learn how anxiety affects children’s brains. You’ll learn why avoiding difficult experiences (like trying a new food) makes anxiety worse, and why confronting our fears helps us beat them.
Module 2 – Food, Feeding and You
After completing the first module, you’ll have a good understanding of what may be going on for your child when they contemplate a food they are not willing to try. But what about how you feel? We’ll be exploring some potentially tricky (but essential) ground here, like how to work as a team with your partner, if you have one. You’ll think about how you approach food in your household and what has influenced that. You’ll also learn all about the importance of what you do when it comes to your own eating and the words you use. When we address picky eating, we have to work with the ‘feeding relationship’. This is all about your feelings, thoughts and actions, your child’s feelings, thoughts and actions and how they affect one another. We’ll explore why so many parents feel guilt in relation to their child’s eating, and how to re-frame this toxic emotion.
Module 3 – Building Confidence and Resilience
The first module of the course is all about food anxiety. I explain what it is and what can cause it. You’ll learn about the difference between anxious eating behaviours and developmentally normal ‘picky eating’, as well as how this might relate to your child. I’ll take you through some of the causes of ‘picky eating’ and explain why it is so important to understand what is underpinning your child’s eating behaviours. We get into a little bit of neuroscience in this module, as you learn how anxiety affects children’s brains. You’ll learn why avoiding difficult experiences (like trying a new food) makes anxiety worse, and why confronting our fears helps us beat them.
Module 4 – Your Feeding Role
By this point in the course – half way – you’ll have done some significant ground work. You’ll have learnt about what is happening for a child when they are anxious in response to food. You’ll have examined your own feelings about your child’s eating in meticulous detail. You’ll have gathered resources to help your child become more resilient and begin to learn to manage their own anxiety. Now you are going to look closely at how to approach feeding. This evidence-based information will enable you to know that you are ‘doing the right thing’ in terms of how you feed your child. For many parents, when they are worried about their child’s eating, “Am I getting it right” is a really big question for them. You’ll learn why many commonly used approaches to ‘picky eating’ actually make things worse. This module will teach you about what good feeding practice looks like, and how to make it work for your family.
Module 5 – Mealtime Parenting
In this module, you will learn all about how to get the mealtime environment right. What should you be focusing on? How should we handle manners? How can we make mealtimes a ‘whole family’ experience? It is not enough to understand how to parent in relation to food, if there is a high level of conflict at mealtimes and the atmosphere is not right. In this module, we’ll explore the social side of meals because this is something that can get lost when you have become used to focusing heavily on what and how your child is eating. Being able to enjoy your child’s company and move away from all those negative emotions (for you and your child!) that we associate with picky eating, will feel like a huge relief.
Module 6 – Introducing Variety
This final module is where everything you have learnt so far comes into its own. Without a proper understanding of your child’s responses to food and your responses to your child’s eating, the strategy I roll out in this final module would not work for you. Without calm and positive mealtimes being a reality, an understanding of how to get the food environment right along with a knowledge of best mealtime parenting practice, attempts to introduce variety would be sabotaged. But now you are ready to reap the rewards of all of your hard work in this course so far. In this module, I share a two phase approach to helping your child learn to accept new foods. By the end of the final lesson, you will have built these two phases into your child’s personalised six week road-map which will guide you on their journey towards new foods and give you a blueprint that you can keep on using as long as you need to. I share some key tips for success and teach you how to help your child try new foods in a way that is empowering and respectful of their feelings.
FAQs
I don’t know if my child is an anxious eater, how can I be sure this course is right for me?
We get into this in detail in the first module, so as long as you have completed module 1 within the 30 day refund period, if you feel that the course material really doesn’t apply to your child, you can ask for your money back. See terms and conditions below.
Look closely at the section below about who the course is for – this will help you think about whether it is right for you. In my experience, parents know best when it comes to their children’s eating. If you have a sense that your child’s responses to food are more than ‘normal’ picky eating, you are probably right. If you sense that they are genuinely scared of new or disliked foods, trust that.
I’ve already tried everything and read up on picky eating but nothing has worked for me. How do I know this will help?
This course is different because we go deep into picky eating and take a holistic approach to addressing it. By the time most of my consultancy clients come to me, they feel that they have tried absolutely everything. With this program, I have tried to take the essence of how I work with families in person, and make it available to parents who need it.
My child has a diagnosis of ARFID, is this course right for me?
Yes! This course will be great for you, but if your child is underweight, missing nutrients or has any other medical diagnosis or issue, you also need to be working with appropriate professionals.
My child is a tween – is this too old?
The course is designed primarily for children up to the age of eleven but will be relevant to parents of twelve and thirteen year olds too. As older teens have more independence in relation to feeding themselves, it is not relevant to this age group.
I’m worried that this course will be too much of a time commitment – how many hours will I have to put in each week?
It’s completely up to you what pace you work at. You have lifetime access to the program and although it can be done in 60 days, you might want to take things slower and do it in 90 days. Equally, some people will want to race ahead and get it done more quickly. You are in charge of how many hours you put in each week.
What can I do if I have technical problem or a customer service issue?
Email support@jocormack.com and someone will get back to you within 48 hours (during UK business hours). You can also reach out via the facebook group.
My child has special needs (eg. sensory processing difficulties or a diagnosis of ASD), is this course right for me?
There will be lots you can get from this course and I cover some of these specialist issues inside it. Children with special needs will need professional assessment and often professional support too – this course will give you a great addition to that but cannot replace it.
My child is under two – is this too young?
The course is designed primarily for children aged two years and above. However, if your child is between 18 months and two years, there will still be lots you can get out of it. If they are under 18 months, you could enroll in order to learn more about ‘picky eating’ but not all of the information in the course will be relevant to you.
"Last year we were approaching our wits’ end about how to address our little boy’s eating, but this course has given us a solid pathway to go forward. Crucially, dinner time is no longer viewed as a dreaded event, but enjoyable family time. "
"We are only a few months down the line after finishing the course but already I am seeing a huge improvement in my son’s attitude to food and enjoyment of food. We all sit and enjoy meals together now, mealtime battles have all but disappeared and every week on average he tries something new. His once limited diet of around 20 foods has already doubled to about 40 foods by trying some of the simple and free things from the course and being consistent with it. "
"This course is fantastic! Really interesting. It finally made me realise that I was not to blame for my son’s eating problems. In the past we have been referred to numerous dietitians who believed he would eat eventually or would eat if he was hungry enough. This course actually explained to me why he struggles and removes the blame from me. I just wish I had found it sooner! "