THE SENSORY MADE SIMPLE PODCAST
with Dr. Samantha Goldman
Ep. 2. Ditching Pressure at the Table
You know those moments at the table where you’re begging, bribing, or just flat-out exhausted trying to get your kid to eat? Trust me, you’re not alone. In this episode, we’re chatting about why that kind of pressure might actually make things harder for you and your little one.
Instead, I’ll share some ideas to help your child feel safe exploring food on their own—without all the stress. Let’s make mealtimes less about battles and more about connection. You’ve got this, and I’m here to help!
"We want your child to be a confident, independent eater."
Ep. 2. Ditching Pressure at the Table
The Sensory Made Simple Podcast
with Dr. Samantha Goldman
Is pressure at the table causing more harm than good? Discover why forcing bites, bribing with dessert, and even subtle nudges might be making mealtimes harder for your child—and for you.
Highlights from this episode:
🎙️The 3 key reasons pressure at the table often backfires.
🎙️ What “no pressure” really means (and why it might not have worked for you before)
🎙️Research-backed insights to help your child explore new foods with less stress.
Links mentioned in this episode:
About the Host:
Being a parent of a child with sensory challenges isn’t easy. Some days, it feels like you’re walking on eggshells, unsure of what will set off the next meltdown. You’re doing everything you can, but you can’t help wondering if there’s more you could do—or if you’re missing something important.
I’m Sam Goldman, a pediatric occupational therapist and your guide in this sensory journey. I’ve spent over a decade helping parents like you understand their child’s sensory needs and find real-life strategies that actually work. My goal? To help you feel less overwhelmed, more confident, and ready to support your child in a way that feels manageable for your family.
You’re already an amazing parent, and you know your child better than anyone. This podcast is here to give you the tools to make life just a little easier—for both of you.
Social Media Links:
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The opinions and content of this blog/podcast are unique to the writers/speakers unless otherwise stated. All contents of this episode are based on our personal opinions and experiences. Disclaimers: The information provided by SAMANTHA N. GOLDMAN, LLC (“we,” “us” or “our”) on http://drsamgoldman.com , and http://samantha-goldman.mykajabi.com (the “Site”) is for general informational purposes only. The Site cannot and does not contain medical advice. Any medical information is provided as my/our personal experiences is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of medical advice.THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. Although this blog/podcast contains external links WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THE SITE OR ANY WEBSITE OR FEATURE LINKED IN ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. ALTHOUGH THIS SITE CONTAINS EXTERNAL LINKS WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THE SITE OR ANY WEBSITE OR FEATURE LINKED IN ANY BANNER OR OTHER ADVERTISING.
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Transcript
Hello, and welcome back.
Today, we're talking about pressuring your child at the table. If you guys follow me on Instagram, at DrSamGoldman, you know this is a topic I am wildly passionate about. I personally do not like using pressure at the table to help your child eat.
And there's a couple reasons for this. Number one, we want your child to be a confident, independent eater. When you're pressuring them to eat, they're learning to eat because you told them to do so, not because their body told them to.
“And while that seems good in the short run, it doesn't really lead to independence at the table. Number two, if their body is telling them, hey, I don't want to eat that food, and then we force them to, there is a very high likelihood they'll have a negative reaction to that food. So something like gagging or getting really upset, having a really bad experience with that food, which then reinforces that they shouldn't eat it and makes trying new foods harder.
And number three, because they are ignoring their body's messages and eating because they're being pressured to, it promotes disconnecting from their body and ignoring their body's messages. But what we really want is for them to connect to their body and help it be more confident at the table. As a parent, you want your child to be healthy.
So when they're not eating what you think is enough quantity or nutrition, it's very natural to try and pressure them to eat or eat more. But in the long run, this doesn't usually lead to a more positive relationship with food. Instead, it usually leads to mealtime battles because your child feels the need “
to protect themselves.
So what kind of pressure are we talking about here exactly? When I say pressure, I usually mean forcing your child to eat certain foods or certain amount of foods, one bite rules, bargaining, bribing them with sweets or dessert or toys, guilting them. So for example, but you ate this yesterday, and anything similar to this.
Now, there are also more subtle forms of pressure that we often don't even realize we're doing. For example, when the entire family is watching your child to see if they enjoy a food when they take a bite. Think about this for a second.
“How would you feel if everyone at the table was watching you eat? So be on the lookout for those subtle ones as well. You might be rolling your eyes at me and thinking, Sam, I have tried no pressure, and it does not work.
In my personal experience, most parents who have tried this haven't tried it fully or haven't tried it for long enough. Usually parents will go back and try it for one to two meals or one to two days and decide it doesn't work. But here's the thing.
For this to work, your child needs to know with 100% certainty that you are not going to pressure them to eat. In order for them to feel safe exploring their plate on their own, they need to know you're not gonna try and make them take a bite as soon as they touch that food. And this takes time and consistency.
But does this mean that if your child just doesn't eat, you shouldn't be worried? No, that's not what I'm saying. Before doing this or changing your child's diet at all, I highly recommend checking with your pediatrician and or dietician to make sure their nutritional needs are being met by the foods they regularly and happily eat.
Some kids may need some additional supplementation to help their body get what they need while they learn. And your medical team can help you determine if this is the case. You might also be thinking, but what if they never touch or bite or interact with that food on their own?
Well, some kids do need more help exploring and learning new foods. No pressure doesn't mean that we don't help them learn. It just means that we do it without pressuring and fighting.
Instead, we do it in a fun way that gradually encourages them to become more comfortable around new foods. And this is exactly what I teach my parents in the Food Explorers membership every single month. You can help kids explore new foods without pressure.
If you're ready to learn how, go to at Dr. Sam Goldman on Instagram and click the link in my bio to join us now. And don't you worry, I'm gonna talk more about some of the strategies I use in episode number three, bringing fun back to the table. So head over to episode three to keep listening.
