17. Managing Picky Eaters and ARFID with Jennifer Anderson, Kids Eat in Color

17. Managing Picky Eaters and ARFID with Jennifer Anderson, Kids Eat in Color

Most parents feel powerless when their child refuses to eat, but the secret to turning mealtime stress into a positive experience is surprisingly simple. Jennifer Anderson, founder of Kids Eat in Color and author of Feed Them Well, reveals the movement away from pressure, dieting, and rigid rules and towards playful, compassionate strategies that encourage healthy eating habits without the stress. If you're tired of tantrums and stress at the dinner table, this episode offers life changing insights to reshape your family’s relationship with food. Jennifer's personal experience with her own children’s picky eating, combined with her professional background as a registered dietitian with a Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins, fuels her mission: helping parents break free from outdated rules like "finish your plate" or "one polite bite" that often backfire. Instead, she advocates for a relaxed, play-based approach that reduces anxiety, promotes curiosity, and fosters genuine food enjoyment. You’ll discover how to shift the focus from control to connection, even in the face of extreme picky eating and ARFID; simple ways to make meals fun through visual tricks, modeling, and removing pressure; and how to use the powerful concept of "safe foods" to build trust with your child. Whether you’re currently experiencing feeding challenges or want to prevent future issues, these strategies create a kinder, more relaxed environment for everyone at the table. Listen now and discover how small changes in your mindset and routines can transform mealtime from a battleground into a place of connection and growth. Jennifer Anderson is a registered dietitian, CEO of Better Bites, and the author of Feed Them Well, coming September 8, 2026. With over 2 million followers on social media and a background in public health, she combines research, clinical experience, and parenting wisdom to revolutionize how we think about feeding our kids and ourselves. Connect with Jennifer: Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/kids.eat.in.color/]kids.eat.in [http://kids.eat.in].color [https://www.instagram.com/kids.eat.in.color/] Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kids.eat.in.color?lang=entiktok.com/@kids.eat.in.color [http://tiktok.com/@kids.eat.in.color] Facebook: facebook.com/kids.eat.in.color [http://facebook.com/kids.eat.in.color] Top resources for Parents:  * Jennifer’s book, Feed Them Well, A Guide to Raising Healthy, Confident Eaters for Life [https://kidseatincolor.com/feed-them-well-book] is now available for pre-order. * Wondering if your child is a typical picky eater or if it's more serious? Take the Pediatric Screener for ARFID and Extreme Picky Eating (PSA-Eat) [https://kidseatincolor.com/qsm_quiz/screener/] * BetterBites [https://kidseatincolor.com/landing-pages/betterbites-arfid-extreme-picky-eating-programs/]: Whether you are managing  ARFID, extreme picky eating, or a nutrition problem, our app-based programs give parents a research-backed path to change how their child eats, one step at a time. Connect with Adrienne @adriennebishopcoaching and Leah @leahandreoni on Instagram

16. Why you're DONE by 3pm (hint: it's not because you're weak)

You know that feeling when the kids walk through the door and you've already mentally clocked out? Or when your partner says "hi honey!" and you're like... please, not you too. In this episode, Adrienne and Leah get real about the 3pm wall: why it hits highly sensitive moms so hard, why you're not lazy or a bad mom, and what's actually going on in your nervous system when everything starts feeling like sandpaper on your brain. They cover the sneaky things draining your energy all day (yes, even your emotions count), why that afternoon coffee might be making things worse, and a bunch of quick tricks to reset, from cold water hacks to a 20-second hug that actually works. Don’t forget to rate and review Real Parenting! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@adriennebishopcoaching | ⁠@leahandreoni ✨ Get's Adrienne's FREE guide - 5 Ways to Stay Calm When Your Kids are Driving you Crazy! - https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/ [https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/] *DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not to be used for therapeutic or medical advice.  We love to hear feedback about the show! Send us a text! 📲 Share this episode with another sensitive parent 🌐 Visit www.adriennebishopcoaching.com [http://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com] or risingsuntherapy.com [http://risingsuntherapy.com] for more support. *DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not to be used for therapeutic or medical advice.

15. People Pleasing and the Power of Saying No for the Family Life YOU want with Trina Stutzman

As a highly sensitive mom, you may naturally want to have peace in the house and not cause conflict in your life. To achieve this, you end up saying yes to others and do things you don't want to do so that other people don't judge you. But what would happen if you stopped worrying what others thought (hello: your mom) or what others were doing (i.e. the neighbors) and instead listened to your intuition? What would it be like to create the family life that works best for YOU and YOUR family, no matter how counterculture? Would you be less burned out? Less exhausted? Happier? Well, we certainly think so, but it's so hard to do! You're in luck though! Help is here! In this episode, Leah and Adrienne sit down with Trina Stutzman, a recovering people pleaser, wellness coach, and author of 12 Steps to Overcome People-Pleasing, for a conversation about why so many women struggle to put themselves first. Trina breaks down what people pleasing really looks like, where it comes from, and why highly sensitive women are especially prone to it. We also explore the important connections between people pleasing and hormonal shifts, trauma responses, and the "shoulds" we absorb from culture, religion, and family and why it's so hard to listen to our instincts and do what is best for us and our families, no matter what everyone else is doing. From parenting boundaries to birthday party logistics, we get real about the guilt that keeps us stuck, the resentment that builds when we stay silent, and the small but powerful shifts that can help us start choosing ourselves, without adding yet another thing to the to-do list. Whether you're a burnt-out mom, a chronic over-giver, or someone who just can't seem to say no, this episode is your permission slip to stop performing and start living as your actual self. Topics covered: * The 20 signs you might be a people pleaser * Why sensitivity and people pleasing so often go hand in hand * How hormones (hello, perimenopause) can shift your tolerance for self-sacrifice * The role guilt plays in keeping us stuck * Practical first steps from Trina's 12-step framework * Why being "the world's okayest mom" might be a compliment * How to live counter culture and have the family life YOU want. Find Trina at TrinaStutzman.com [http://TrinaStutzman.com] and grab her book 12 Steps to Overcome People Pleasing on Amazon or wherever books are sold. Don’t forget to rate and review Real Parenting! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@adriennebishopcoaching | ⁠@leahandreoni ✨ Get's Adrienne's FREE guide - 5 Ways to Stay Calm When Your Kids are Driving you Crazy! - https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/ [https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/] *DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not to be used for therapeutic or medical advice.  We love to hear feedback about the show! Send us a text! 📲 Share this episode with another sensitive parent 🌐 Visit www.adriennebishopcoaching.com [http://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com] or risingsuntherapy.com [http://risingsuntherapy.com] for more support. *DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not to be used for therapeutic or medical advice.

14. HS, ADHD or anxiety - Your Questions Answered with HS Expert Alane Freund

If you’ve ever found yourself spiraling trying to figure out… Is this ADHD? Anxiety? High sensitivity? Sensory issues? Something else? — you are so not alone. In this episode, we sit down with Alane Freund and walk through real parent scenarios that will probably feel very familiar. We talk about a 4-year-old with intense, daily meltdowns that seem to come out of nowhere… An 18-month-old who won’t separate or engage socially… A teen dealing with anxiety, OCD, and school refusal… And even what “inattentive ADHD” can look like in a highly sensitive kid who’s constantly in their own world. This is one of those conversations where you start to realize…it’s not as clear-cut as we’ve been told. Inside the episode, we get into: * Why highly sensitive kids can look like they have ADHD (even when they don’t) * How anxiety shows up in the body (nausea, headaches, shutdowns) and why it’s often misunderstood * The concept of kids being “half their age” when they’re overwhelmed and how that changes how you respond * Why tantrums aren’t something you fix in the moment (and what actually helps instead) * What to do when your child refuses school, including options most parents don’t even realize they have * The difference between temperament vs. diagnosis (and why that matters so much) Get Alane's FREE GIFT here: 10 Pillars of Resilience [https://alane-freund.mykajabi.com/10-pillars-of-resilience] https://alane-freund.mykajabi.com/10-pillars-of-resilience [https://alane-freund.mykajabi.com/10-pillars-of-resilience]  Find Alane here: Alane Freund | Are You Highly Sensitive Links to events [https://www.alanefreund.com/events/] Learn about and join the Are You Highly Sensitive membership here [https://alane-freund.mykajabi.com/areyouhighlysensitive] Follow Alane on Eventbrite [https://www.eventbrite.com/o/alane-freund-31061471871] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/AreYouHighlySensitive/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@AreYouHighlySensitive] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/areyouhighlysensitive/] Don’t forget to rate and review Real Parenting! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@adriennebishopcoaching | ⁠@leahandreoni ✨ Get's Adrienne's FREE guide - 5 Ways to Stay Calm When Your Kids are Driving you Crazy! - https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/ [https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/] We love to hear feedback about the show! Send us a text! 📲 Share this episode with another sensitive parent 🌐 Visit www.adriennebishopcoaching.com [http://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com] or risingsuntherapy.com [http://risingsuntherapy.com] for more support. *DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not to be used for therapeutic or medical advice.

13. Getting your Kids to Help you Clean up without the Power Struggles with Ann Dooley

Clutter stresses me out, but getting my kids to actually help clean it up? That's a whole other battle. And if you've ever resorted to threatening screen time or bribing with dessert just to get the toys off the floor, first of all, same. But also, this episode is going to change the way you think about all of it. Leah and I sat down with Ann Dooley, founder of Simple Joy with Ann and creator of the Dooley Method, and I genuinely walked away from this conversation seeing things differently. Ann is a certified master level KonMari consultant, a parenting coach, and author, and her whole approach is about connection first, which honestly fits in perfectly with everything we talk about on this show. We get into why threats and bribes actually backfire, like, they're literally triggering your kid's fight or flight response, which explains so much. We also talk about how the home you grew up in shaped the way you deal with clutter today, whether you're the person who keeps everything or the person who throws it all away. Both extremes come with a lot of baggage, and a lot of us are just on autopilot repeating patterns we never even chose. Ann walks us through her SHINE framework — Seen, Heard, Independent, Nurtured, Engaged — and how using it helps kids actually build internal motivation to help around the house instead of just avoiding it. And she closes the episode with a guided meditation that I genuinely did not see coming but absolutely needed. If you've ever just done it all yourself because it felt easier than dealing with the meltdown, this episode is for you. It's one of those conversations that sticks with you. Guest: Anne Dooley | simplejoywithann.com [http://simplejoywithann.com] | @simplejoywithann Don’t forget to rate and review Real Parenting! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@adriennebishopcoaching | ⁠@leahandreoni ✨ Get's Adrienne's FREE guide - 5 Ways to Stay Calm When Your Kids are Driving you Crazy! - https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/ [https://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com/5-ways-to-stay-calm/] We love to hear feedback about the show! Send us a text! 📲 Share this episode with another sensitive parent 🌐 Visit www.adriennebishopcoaching.com [http://www.adriennebishopcoaching.com] or risingsuntherapy.com [http://risingsuntherapy.com] for more support. *DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not to be used for therapeutic or medical advice.