Today I had the pleasure of connecting with a wonderful mom, Kirsten, who participated in Happy Eating Club last year and still uses what she learned with her family. Kirsten and I discussed her experience in the program and where her family is now, almost a year later, in their feeding journey as they consistently utilize the information, strategies and resources she gained in Happy Eating Club.
Happy Eating Club is a flexible 14-day program available online with access around the clock and around the globe to meet the needs of today’s busy parents. Happy Eating Club pairs access to a nationally certified pediatric feeding therapist with educational resources and support. Happy Eating Club redefines mealtimes and for Kirsten and her sweet family, it has done just that.
Why did you join the program?
I joined the program primarily because of my son who was three at the time. Meal times were becoming increasingly challenging as he would refuse most foods and eat only a handful of items consistently (cereal, fig bars, bunny crackers, smoothies, etc.). My oldest son was five and would eat most things, but usually would refuse any new food. My daughter was one and was a pretty good eater, but I wanted to learn strategies to help her continue to eat a variety of foods.
How soon did you start to implement Happy Eating Club strategies and see changes?
I implemented some of the strategies immediately! I was able to change my language at meal times right away- I no longer say “just take a bite.” It became less of a power struggle at meals by implementing the new strategies and changing the phrases I used with my three-year-old. I loved how practical the recommendations were and easy to try out.
With my oldest son I saw changes more quickly (after the learning the sensory strategy he ate an entire bowl of chili – something he had always refused before!) My three-year-old son took a few weeks to adjust to some of the strategies we implemented (and we continue working on these strategies with him), but eventually became used to the new meal time expectations.
Did you find flexibility of Happy Eating Club to be valuable to you?
I loved the flexibility of the program! I was able to listen to the podcasts while putting away laundry or cleaning. I could go through the supplemental materials on my own time, and I still go back and reference notes and program materials. Being able to post on the discussion board to ask follow up questions after listening to the podcasts was invaluable.
Are program materials helpful to you?
They have been very helpful! It was great to have on-going, unlimited access to them and be able to print them off or go back to reference them. The materials covered a variety of topics and offered practical advice that has been easy to implement.
Did Happy Eating Club provide opportunities to get individualized answers to questions that you had specifically about your children?
Cindy was incredibly helpful in answering specific questions about my children. All three of my children have had speech services, and she was able to further explain how there can be a correlation between speech delays and sensory processing. She offered to watch a video clip of my youngest chewing and gave me specific tips to help further develop her chewing muscles. Almost a year later, I still have been able to contact her with questions and she has provided education for next steps.
Would you recommend the program to other families?
I would absolutely recommend this program to other families! I never knew how much more there was to picky eating and how it can be such a sensory experience. This program has been incredibly valuable for my family and for my own sanity at meal times!
Kirsten is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (Colton-6, Deacon-4, and Emme-2). She recently moved from Southern California to Minnesota for a new job opportunity for her husband Phil. While we miss our family and friends in California, we’re enjoying exploring our new community and training our new puppy Hank.
Are you ready for better mealtimes?
The next round of Happy Eating Club is enrolling now! Register now and use promo code: “back2school” to save 75%.
