Does taking your child to the pediatrician for a growth checkup make you feel uneasy? Perhaps you’re worried that your child with the picky eating habits is not growing fast enough. A recent post by Mrs. Juice details her experience at the doctor with her 7-year-old daughter, who had fallen off the growth curve a few months ago.

A few days before her appointment, HJ came down with a stomach bug and Mrs. Juice was worried that her weight would not accurately represent any progress she had made. Fortunately, HJ had gained two pounds since her last appointment and they were told by the doctor to keep up the good work. This caused feelings of pressure and anxiety in Mrs. Juice, and she reflected on why picky eating is a source of stress for parents.

One concern is that the picky eating is tied to underlying psychological issues such as the child’s own anxiety. It also brings up feelings of insecurity among parents and forces them to recognize that they are not in control of everything in the child’s life. It is also possible that these feelings reflect the parent’s own issues with food.

Read the full article here: Picky eating and anxiety—an update and a revelation