Picky eaters unite! Oh, the struggle of picky eatingβ¦ As much as I’d like to tell you that every kid will outgrow it and all will be well in a few years if you can get past the toddler stage, well β¦.it’s not always as simple as that, unfortunately! I happen to be sort of a picky eater myself π and I have a looong list of memories etched into my brain of being the last at the table as a child with a mouth full of food I would refuse to swallow because I thought it was so revolting, I would throw up if I swallowed (I was a stubborn kid & now my kid is giving me a taste of my own medicine π€£). Not only is Gavin a picky eater by default, he also had a lot of issues with texture aversions, as well as low muscle tone, which makes it more difficult to chew thicker, harder foods. It’s been QUITE the journey, phewβ¦ One we are still on!
And all I can say is that your patience will never, ever be tested quite like it will when your child or loved one refuses to eat. They say your child will eat or drink when he or she is hungry. Well, those people haven’t met Gavin π…. Day by day, battle after battle, you will slowly lose your mind. I just wanted ONE thing that didn’t feel like a battle with my son, you know? Just one thing! π But, alas, here we areβ¦ 2 years and 7 months laterβ¦ And I still need aromatherapy & my own arsenal of flower essences to get me through certain feeding times. Thus is life, though, and the most important thing is the try and make the most of it, while we learn along the way as much as we can!
**This post contains both affiliate & non-affiliated links; I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use the links I provide. Read my full disclosure here**πβ¨
πΏ I frantically searched the Pacific Northwest Essences site after seeing so much success from Gavin’s custom blend & randomly stumbled on the Grow with Confidence blend, which had a snippet about being beneficial for a child who is a picky eater. I immediately added it to my cart without a second thought and took the plunge. I figured, what harm could it do? Make him even more difficult?! Impossible! π€£
The biggest change that I saw within a week of taking Grow With Confidence twice a day, 2 drops per day, was that Gavin’s texture aversions started to fade awayβ¦. He NEVER could handle solid fruit of any kind for one reason or another; everything had to be pureed, blended like a smoothie, or mashed together. On day 3, I was eating a banana and he took it from me! Just took my banana right out of my hands and started taking little nibbles. I literally sat there with my mouth agape and realized I had actually stopped breathing, I was so shockedπ²π . I mean, you hear about kids doing this all the time with their parents because babies and toddlers are curious little beings & they’re interested in what us big folks are up to. It always concerned me that prior to now, Gavin couldn’t care less what I was eating if it meant he had to eat it, too, lol. Now, he LOVES bananas and eats them everyday. Since then, we’ve added: Mango, Oranges (he used to flip out at the juiciness of an orange), Avocado, angel hair pasta, & more and more solid foods. He literally scoops up Avocado, plain, with a spoon (that’s how I finally got him to learn how to spoon-feed himself, he just had to be motivated to do it) & then delights in feeling the texture of the leftovers on his fingers when he’s had his fill.
The biggest difference is that he’s willing to at least try new foods now to see if he’ll like them, rather than completely avoiding anything new. This doesn’t mean he’s a perfect eater by any stretch of the imagination! Believe me, I still have my work cut out for me, BUT there’s just so much more hope now! He’s much more open, less closed off, in general, and CURIOUS!
The first few days, I did notice Gavin becoming particularly “willful”, in which he was really trying to get his point across. For a non-verbal child, this manifests in many ways: refusing naps, exerting his will, letting his needs be known via lots of yelling/demanding, making an active effort to communicate. His receptive communication (understanding of actual speech, ie: the words I say to him) skyrocketed & he stopped fighting simple directions, such as, “please put tissue in garbage can”. He used to FLIP OUT when I asked him to do anything or would just ignore me, followed by flipping out after I made him carry out the task I asked him to complete for compliance.
A few weeks into Grow With Confidence, Gavin follows simple “commands” without a fight. He gets his shoes when I ask him to, (he’s always been taught to clean up his toys), he throws out tissues & delights in the mission of doing so, as well as bringing things to other people, such as, “Gavin, please hand daddy your water bottle”. The smile on that little man’s face when he brought me my mother’s day present melted my heart like nothing in this world ever could π€.
The second biggest change is that Gavin is no longer terrified of parks and WANTS to play in regular parks now! Before, he would fixate on the fence surrounding the park and then have an outburst when I would try to bring him to the center of the park where all the action is, while I watched other parents quietly rock their happy toddler/baby in a swing as I secretly dreamed of what “normal” parenting might feel like. To simply be able to bring one’s child to a park and watch his/her eyes light up at the possibility of it all. Gavin’s fear was paralyzing him & the only way he could express himself was to, well, scream.. Have outbursts, try to escape. (we do ALL of this as adults in different, more subtle ways when we’re trying to escape & can’t express ourselves in a meaningful way).
3 months later, we are at the end of the bottle of Grow with Confidence, Gavin is our little explorer with a man on a mission to make up for lost timeπ! β¨ He also finger paints now & can tolerate bubble baths. Prior to this, he would have a complete and total meltdown at the feeling of paint, bubble baths, & sand. He’s still a little leary about regular sand (I don’t blame him π ), but he’s ALL about kinetic sand now! Whoever created kinetic sand, bless you! πππ
I am just so utterly amazed at how powerful, potent, and effective flower essences have been for my son. I feel that these changes derived from freeing up blockages Gavin must have had that made him feel uncertain in his surroundings. His history (more about that in my first post listed below!) most likely created stagnant energy in a variety of ways. My next post will be more about how flower essences have helped me, as well!
Please check out my first blog post on Ava’s custom flower essence blends, which goes more into detail about how flower essences are purported to work, which is fascinating, indeed! I’ve continued to add more posts in my Flower Essence series in the Wellness Section of my blog if you’d like to explore furtherππ!
If you’d like to purchase flower essences from Pacific Northwest Essences, you can always use code Clarity15 to save 15% off any amount & any number of orders! πππ Flower essences are definitely not all created equally, and I wholeheartedly trust & recommend Ava’s exquisite line! That code is also good for Ava’s one-of-a-kind skincare line, Earthwise Beauty, which is the only natural skincare line I’ve found to truly help my problematic, acne-prone skin. I have a Brand Spotlight blog post as well as a Black Locust Firming Concentrate Review with before/after photos! πβ¨
Lastly, Product Details!
Pricing:
1/2oz bottle $20
1 oz bottle $35
Aura Mist: $45
Custom blend consultation: various pricing, the email consultation option I did is $40. Coupon code Clarity15 saves you 15 percent off all orders of any amountπππ! I highly recommend perusing Ava’s site, which has a plethora of information and detailed accounts of how each blend can help a particular need or goal. You can purchase Pacific Northwest Essences HERE.
I really do hope that whomever comes across this post finds it helpful in some way! That is truly my sole goal for starting and continuing with this blogging endeavor! These flower essences are a daily reminder that nature provides miracles every single day… We just have to see them, find them, accept them, honor & value them. Most importantly, never give up! ππΏβ¨
Love & Light, πβ¨
Julie
