Part of living the special needs life can be picky eating. Due to sensory issues, personal preferences, behavior outbursts when the status quo changes and more, your child may have only very specific foods that they want to eat each day. I know my son certainly does.
So, what do you do when in this time of pandemic and less supplies than the norm, your child’s favorite food just isn’t available?
My son, Kai, is eight years old and has eight different medical and education related diagnoses. He spent an entire year choking on baby food (entirely pureed, not chunky) at every meal to the point that he needed intervention daily. As in, if we interceded and failed at clearing out his airways, he could have died. Let’s just say that I got really good at the hook method (which was what was advised at the time).
Eventually, Kai mastered eating baby food without choking with the help of a feeding therapist and we moved on to other soft foods. He is also able to eat things like cookies, cake, muffins and ice cream without issue now. But those are mostly treat foods. His main diet at this point consists of the Wal-Mart store brand version of Chef Boyardee canned pastas (up to six cans a day when he’s in a growth spurt), applesauce, pudding, fresh banana, 1% milk, store brand vanilla wafers and sometimes a bit of water or juice. Of course, his dad and I recognize that this isn’t the healthiest diet but it is a work in progress and we are extremely grateful that he no longer chokes when eating.
Kai receives school meals in addition to what we send from home with the goal that he will try new foods if he is presented with them every day. At school, he has apparently tried a cinnamon roll and french toast sticks with success. Again, not the healthiest. But between texture issues, stubbornness and preferences, this is where we are and we are actually thrilled at the progress he is making.
So what to do during a pandemic, when the Wal-Mart brand pasta is totally out of stock and we are stuck in the house 24/7? Especially when there is no parenting break, even for school or therapy and we are exhausted?
We know as special needs parents that many things are trial and error. So, the first thing we tried to do is make something similar, homemade. It was rejected after many texture explorations on Kai’s part with his lips. The pasta was never tasted. The sauce I snuck into his mouth, also to be rejected.
The next thing we tried was to buy a similar product. The only thing available at first was Chef Boyardee mini ravioli (Kai likes Wal-Mart brand macaroni with beef in tomato sauce best and then the same brand mini ravioli second). When presented with this, Kai ate it but wasn’t thrilled about it. He absolutely knows the difference between the brands. Also, after a couple of cans of this, he started getting diarrhea, which is not an issue with our usual food.
The third thing we tried was to back off on canned pasta all together and try to get him to taste other things. Homemade chicken and dumpling broth – rejected. Homemade spaghetti – rejected.
Finally, we were able to get our hands on some Chef Boyardee mac and beef in tomato sauce. Kai eats it enthusiastically, although not as happily as his usual. Big sigh.
You know that the situation isn’t over, though, because availability is inconsistent and will be for the foreseeable future. So what lengths am I willing to go to? I will let him eat more treats if that is all he will eat. I will continue to try to make new concoctions and present them. I will purchase things that I normally wouldn’t keep in the house (cinnamon rolls, I’m looking at you) and I will try not to take this so seriously if Kai eats less healthy stuff until this pandemic is over.
Between home schooling, no breaks, erratic sleep, lock down, self isolating, etc., I know that I need to be more flexible than ever. After all, if WE as caregivers feel uncomfortable with the changes, can you imagine how OUR SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS feel when they thrive on consistency and suddenly their world shifts?
Do your best and let the rest go. Breathe. As long as they eating SOMETHING, ANYTHING, they will not starve to death.
Smoothies, anyone? Served on a spoon, of course. Maybe we can sneak in some fruit!
What challenges are you and your child with special needs going through during this pandemic? Please share in the comments below.
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