Square Peg Parenting

Are your school mornings a mad dash? Do you shout at your kids to eat while rushing to get everyone ready and out the door on time?

It can feel impossible to get a healthy breakfast in your kids. They want sugary cereal or they're not hungry. But breakfast really is important, especially to feed their brain for a busy school day.

So try these simple tricks to help them to eat.

⭐ Add choice. I know throwing cereal boxes in the general direction of the table is easier, but put a few more foods on the table to give them options. Before you think *what else can I give them? I don't have time to cook!* let's look at trick number 2...

⭐ Try leftovers. I know it seems strange, but leftovers can be the saviour of school mornings. Not only are they more likely to contain the protein that kid's need to start their day, you won't feel as limited with variety as with breakfast foods. Plus leftovers are ready to go. You just place them on the table and...

⭐ Let your kids help themselves. With options in front of them, they may need a minute. It's ok if they eat a breakfast that seems like an odd combination. It's ok if they eat only one food. You choose the foods that go on the breakfast table, so choose food you know they like and that will feed their brain for the busy day ahead. Then sit back and let them decide what they eat.

Have you tried leftovers for breakfast? My son ate spaghetti bolognese and cucumber slices this morning!
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Parents raising unique kids, raise your hands 🙋🏻‍♀️

If your child is neurodiverse, you know it's not an easy journey.

If your child is autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic, has ADHD, ADD, dyscalculia or has sensory processing challenges, I know you are fighting for them every step of the way.

It can be hard to think about what we wish for them. Sometimes it can just feel too far away. For them to actually get the support they need without a fight. For teachers, doctors and specialists to see the best in them and understand they are amazing, for them to enjoy school, and for them to find a path that makes them happy. It's all we want as parents, and it shouldn't be so hard.

Sending you love and strength if you are struggling 🧡

How's your week going?

After a long break, we crave back to school for some time off.... then it rarely goes are well as we planned.

If your week is going off track, like this post! You're not alone!
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

What can you add in to help your child's attention, memory, impulse control and decision making? And what can you add in that they'll actually eat?

⭐ Strawberries are a fantastic anti-inflammatory food that supports dopamine production.

⭐ Sesame seeds contain the amino acid tyrosine, which is the building block needed to make dopamine. They're easy for kids to sprinkle on food or to include when you cook meals.

⭐ Grapes are a lovely source of chromium which has been found to increase dopamine function. For a chromium boost try unsweetened grape juice.

⭐ Flax seeds are an easy way to add in omega 3. Buy ground flax seeds, store them in the fridge and add to already cooked food or sprinkle into smoothies.

If your child is struggling with their attention or you see risk taking behaviour, get in touch about supplements to bridge the gaps. We'll chat about a personalised program to help them feel their best.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

"How do I actually do anything about dopamine??"

Try these!

⭐ Consider blood sugar levels through the day. Is your child getting protein in the morning or relying on sugary breakfasts?

⭐ Try some anti inflammatory foods like berries as snacks or added to a lunch box.

⭐ Physical activity can be anything they like to do... outdoors is best for added sunlight!

⭐ Take a look at the food they eat to make sure they're getting vitamin D, chromium, omega 3 and magnesium.

⭐ Watch out for stress and add in calming activities to help.

Of course, like any part of parenting, these are easier said than done. If you'd like some help, send me a message. We'll talk though how to make it work for your unique child.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Who's heard of dopamine?

If you are parenting an ADHD kid you may have. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for so many parts of kids' learning. From focusing in a lesson to remembering information for a test, from being able to sit still while a teacher is talking to deciding how best to complete a project. Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter for our kids to feel their best at school.

ADHD kids may have lower dopamine levels. This may be due to lower production of the neurotransmitter, or increased 're-uptake,' meaning the body recycles it before it is done working. This imbalance of dopamine can lead to increased risky behaviour, poor decision making, struggling with attention and even having a hard time switching off to sleep.

Does this sound like your child? Send me a message if so!
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Parenting is hard enough. When you need to fight for your child every step of the way, it can feel exhausting and heartbreaking.

If you are struggling to find the right support for your child, come along to my open day this Thursday. Click the link in my bio to book a private call with me. We'll talk about the support your child needs and simple steps to get started.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Here's to all the parents fighting for their neurodiverse kids.

I see you never giving up.

It's Neurodiversity Celebration Week!

While every week is neurodiversity week around here, life and day to day struggles can get in the way and we forget to celebrate our kids' unique minds.

If you have a neurodiverse child let us know by liking this post or commenting below!

🙋🏻‍♀️

Food you already have in your fridge can help your child to sleep.

Foods containing the protein tryptophan give your child the building blocks for melatonin, the sleep hormone. You don't need lots... focus on adding tryptophan food into your child's routine so they have small amounts often.

Not sure your child would eat these? Send me a message and let's chat about the steps to help your child eat the nutrients their brain needs.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Did you know that sleep can be affected by the food your child eats?

Let's connect the dots between your child's food and their sleep.

⭐ Tryptophan is a protein in food. It is used as a building block by the body to make the things.
⭐ Tryptophan is used to make serotonin, the wellbeing, happy feeling neurotransmitter.
⭐ In darkness, serotonin is turned into melatonin.
⭐ Melatonin is the sleep hormone, responsible for sending your child to sleep.

I'll be sharing tryptophan foods tomorrow!
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Let's look at the ingredients of sleep...

⭐ Physical comfort : If your child has physical discomfort from tummy aches or hunger, they will struggle to sleep. The space they sleep is also important... do they like a weighted blanket for comfort or a light sheet with room to wriggle?

⭐ Emotional comfort : Big feelings keep our kids up at night. They may be overthinking a moment from the day or may be struggling with anxiety.

⭐ Balanced cortisol : The stress hormone cortisol needs to decrease through the day in order to allow melatonin, the sleep hormone to rise. Worry and anxiety can be a part of a pattern of unbalanced cortisol which affects sleep.

⭐ Balanced neurotransmitters : An abundance of excitatory neurotransmitters can be caused by an increase in stress hormones, or due to an imbalance of other neurotransmitters. This boost of excitement in the brain interferes with sleep and can cause vivid dreams or nightmares.

⭐ Avoid blue light in the evenings : Blue light blocks the release of melatonin, which is why screen time before bed can get in the way of sleep.

⭐ Nutrition ingredients for melatonin : The sleep hormone melatonin requires its building blocks from food. Tryptophan in the diet is used to form melatonin and a selective diet may be missing the nutrient ingredients needed for sleep.

⭐ Varied diet : Sugar and high amounts of food before bed can make sleep feel impossible. Kids need a variety of macro nutrients protein, whole carbs and healthy fats to feel satisfied and able to prepare for sleep.

⭐ Consistent routine : Kids feel safe within routine, and their body is better able to respond to the natural cycle of stress and sleep hormones through the day when working within a regular bedtime routine.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Have you ever googled to find the answer?
All the conflicting information out there can be overwhelming. You know you want your kid to sleep but you don't know where to start.

Sleep is so important for kids to feel their best.
We all know how it feels when we drag ourselves through a work day when we didn't get enough sleep. Little things upset us. We can't focus. We're annoyed and people notice. We eat chocolate or drink coffee to keep us going. The day is a struggle.

It's the same for our kids but they're often expected to sit still for long periods of time in the classroom, to listen to the teacher then be ready with an answer, to get along with all the children in their class.

To help your kids sleep, think about what's going on around their bodies, and what's going on inside their bodies.

Plan quiet evenings without screens to prepare them to sleep. Read to them or let them listen to music or an audiobook to begin to wind down from the day. Use relaxing lavender oil to create a calming space for them, and use a red nightlight if they need comfort.

Consider the building blocks your child's brain needs to sleep. Add in some magnesium by giving them a bath with magnesium flakes. Help their stress hormones lower by avoiding sugary foods in the afternoon and trying some belly breathing before bed. Give their body the nutrients it needs for calm and sleep.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive at school.

Raise your hand if you get me-time in the evening.

*** crickets***

As parents we often imagine this wonderful time of relaxation, a glass of wine, a good book or the latest binge-worthy show. We imagine the sigh of relief when our kids go to sleep and we have the evening ahead of us with nothing to do but relax.

Instead, we get kids jumping out of bed, kids struggling to fall asleep, kids waking up in the night, kids wanting a snack or a drink or a cuddle, teens sneaking screens, or teens who have bedtimes that are later than ours. We're up and down all evening until we fall into bed. No me-time there.

So this week I'm going to be talking about sleep... why it's so important for the brain, for learning, and what happens when our kids don't get enough.

Do you get me-time? Does it really exist? Let me know in the comments!
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

So many parents watch their kids have a hard time after school.

They may be exhausted after masking all day. They may be overstimulated and struggle to calm down.

Feed them. Try these on-the-go after school snacks for your struggling child.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

When kids are struggling, we are often met with a meltdown after school. They let out all the frustration and the overwhelm of the day.

For neurodiverse kids, the meltdown may also come from the exhaustion of masking at school. Masking, or camouflaging, is seen in many neurodiverse kids who learn, practice and perform certain behaviours and suppress others in order to be more like the children around them.

What can we do to help them through this meltdown, or after school restraint collapse? Feed them!

Tomorrow I'll be sharing easy snacks that helps balance kids after school.

If your child masks at school, let me know with an emoji in the comments! 🙋🏻‍♀️
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

We are our kids' safe space. The place where they don't have to hold it all in. The place where they can show what's really going on.

But it's exhausting when our kids bring all their frustration, anger and grumpiness home to us.

If your child is having a hard time, get in touch and let's talk about the support they need to feel better.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

Who's been there?
🙋🏻‍♀️

As parents of struggling kids, the pressure to help them is usually on our shoulders. It's overwhelming and we just want them to be happy and feel their best.

If you feel like this too, send me a message!
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to feel their best and thrive at school.

Us parents have a heavy weight on our shoulders. Each of us are walking a different path, but we struggle with the same worries for our children.

What do you want for your child?
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

Four simple steps to support your child's mood.

Simple steps lead to lasting change.

If you're ready for the full map of steps to support your child, please send me a message. We'll chat about how to help your child feel their best.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

What do these foods have in common? They help kids feel calm and bring feelings of wellbeing. But the way they do this is very different. Let's have a look...

⭐ Oats can be added in biscuits, as porridge or in granola with chocolate chips. The fibre in oats has been found to slow down the release of sugar into the blood, meaning fewer sugar spikes, less irritability and fewer mood swings.

⭐ Blueberries are a great snack for little fingers, and can be added to yogurt, smoothies or even ice cream for older kids. The antioxidants in blueberries have been linked to lower levels of depression, thought to be due to their action on inflammation.

⭐ Bananas can be made into homemade ice cream. Simply freeze chunks of ripe banana then throw in the blender with some coconut cream or milk. Kids can choose additional flavours like cocoa, walnuts or vanilla. Bananas contain tryptophan which is used to make the feel good neurotransmitter serotonin.

⭐ Cashews are a sweet nut often loved by kids. They are a simple way to thicken sauces by throwing ingredients into the blender. The zinc contained in cashews helps to enhance GABA, the calming neurotransmitter.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

Did you know the food your child eats is linked to how they feel?

We all feel a little better when we eat chocolate or our favourite comfort food. But nutrition can go even further. The nutrients in your child's food gives them the building blocks for their neurotransmitters, can increase or decrease inflammation, and can even change how their gut speaks to their brain.

If your child is struggling with their mood, let's talk. Send me a message and say hello.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

Worried about your child's anxiety? Does their low mood get in the way of school and friends?

Helping your child to feel better can feel like an endless mountain to climb. How about starting with one simple step?

Switch them from milk chocolate to dark chocolate.... at least 70% dark chocolate.

Why?

⭐ dark chocolate contains zinc and magnesium which help create serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter
⭐ flavonoids in dark chocolate have been found to improve oxygen levels, nerve function and blood flow in the brain
⭐ dark chocolate stimulates the release of feel good endorphins in the brain
⭐ dark chocolate is good for the microbiome, boosting the vital gut brain connection

Want more simple steps to help your child feel their best? Book a free child health check with me to get started. The link's in my bio.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

Does your child worry? Do they feel anxious in the mornings before school, or have a hard time falling asleep with all their thoughts about their day?

It's tough parenting a worried child. We spend our days worrying too.

If you have a worrier, give me a YES in the comments.
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

You have enough on your plate making sure your ADHD or autistic kid is getting the support they need at school. You feel like you're constantly fighting for them.

Fighting WITH them at mealtime makes everything harder.

If your autistic or ADHD child is struggling with food, join my FREE class to learn some tricks to ease the pressure. Click the link to grab your free ticket.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/469942690237

There are 3 building blocks that you need to help your child to thrive at school.

I bet they're not what you are thinking.

1️⃣ Make sure they eat a variety of food.
This means overcome any picky eating! If your child is eating a variety of fruit, veggies, protein, grains and fats they'll be fuelling their brain with the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Not there yet? I've got you! Come along to my free Mealtime Magic online class next week for easy tricks that help! Click the link to grab your ticket!

2️⃣ Make sure they're feeling calm and sleeping well.
Anxiety in our children is at an all time high. If they are worrying or anxious, they are not going to be able to sit still or take part at school. If they're exhausted, they will struggle to remember information from their lessons.
Need help with this? It's coming soon! Get on the waiting list for my short course to relieve your child's worry and get them to sleep. Visit my website at feedmefocused.com to get on the list to be the first to hear when booking is open!

3️⃣ Make sure nothing is in their way to focus and concentrate.
The expectations of schools are high. Our children are expected to sit still and listen, to retain and recall information quickly, to manage in large classes of noisy kids, and to feel positive about it all. It's a lot to ask!
If your child is struggling to focus at school, or has signs or a diagnosis of ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia then I've got you! Send me a DM to let me know this is you!
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I'm Sophie, the founder of Feed Me Focused, support and guidance for worried parents of struggling kids. I'm a teacher turned nutritionist connecting parents with the simple steps to help their kids to thrive.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mealtime-magic-3-simple-tricks-to-get-your-kids-eating-brain-boosting-food-tickets-469942690237

Do you have a picky eater?
Do you eat all the healthy food yourself so it doesn't go to waste?
Do you know that telling them to eat isn't working, but you don't know what else to do?
Do you feel all the weight on your shoulders to get them to eat more food?

You're not alone!

Join me for a FREE online class to learn 3 really simple tricks that will help your child to try more food.

It's time you stopped worrying and enjoyed mealtimes too!

Click the link to grab your ticket. If you can't make it that night, you'll get a recording sent to your email.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mealtime-magic-3-simple-tricks-to-get-your-kids-eating-brain-boosting-food-tickets-469942690237

Do you buy healthy food for your kid then end up eating it yourself so it doesn't go to waste?

You're not alone!

Join me on 24th January at 6pm for a FREE online class for parents of picky eaters. You'll learn three tricks to get them eating, and how to find the support and community to feel less alone.

The link's in my bio. Can't make that time? Sign up and you'll get a recording of the class sent to your email!