Preventing and Solving Feeding Problems
To prevent feeding struggles from the start, it’s important to follow the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR) beginning at birth. Together, you and your baby build a foundation of trust that supports a positive feeding relationship—one that will carry through childhood and serve them well into adulthood.
By following the Division of Responsibility, your child can trust that food will be provided at consistent times and they’ll know where it will be provided. You can trust that they can determine whether and how much to eat.
Establishing a feeding relationship based on trust will eliminate the power struggles and pressure around eating and help prevent and solve the most common feeding and eating problems.
What If Feeding Problems Already Exist?
If you’re facing challenges—whether your child is picky, seems to over- or under-eat, or you’re concerned about weight gain or loss—the first step is the same:
Look at your current feeding approach and begin to apply the Division of Responsibility that matches your child’s developmental stage.
Regardless of the issue, the solution starts with this basic structure:
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You do your job with feeding: what, when, and where food is offered.
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Your child does their job with eating: whether and how much to eat from what you provide.
This clear division of roles supports children in developing Eating Competence—so they can grow well, eat well, and feel good about food and their bodies.