There are a few reasons why a baby or toddler might pocket food or hold food in their mouth without swallowing. The most common reason is simply lacking the sensory awareness and/or tongue coordination to fully chew and swallow certain foods. Instead, they chew or suck on the food, and pocket it.

Step by step, tell them how you’re getting the food out of your mouth. That might look a little something like this, tell your child, “Move your tongue over to the food and scoop it out like a shovel. Now, put it on top of your tongue. Take a drink and swallow the food down with your water.”

If your child has difficulty swallowing food or liquids, it’s most likely because of a sore throat. Or your child might have a sore throat because of a cold, glandular fever, mouth infection or mouth ulcers. Babies can have difficulty swallowing if they have a cold that’s causing a blocked nose.

It’s a symptom of a feeding disorder she describes as “pocketing.” Alaina Everitt. a licensed psychologist, said the issue of pocketing usually begins when children are young. The children may experience something painful, such as reflux or a sore in their mouth, and they find it difficult to eat.

Set up for success at mealtime

1. Limit mealtime distractions.
2. Serve appropriate food portions.
3. Don’t schedule mealtimes too close to bedtime.
4. Eliminate mealtime stress.
5. Involve your child in food preparation.
6. Reduce non-mealtime foods and drinks.
7. Understand your child’s eating style.

1. Keep offering new foods. It can take 10-15 tries for children to accept and enjoy new foods.
2. Serve your child the same foods as the rest of the family.
3. Offer new foods with foods that your child already knows and likes.
4. If your child refuses something, offer it again in a week or so.

Signs of Feeding and Swallowing Disorders Your child may have a feeding or swallowing problem if she: Arches her back or stiffens when feeding. Cries or fusses when feeding. Falls asleep when feeding.

Your toddler’s refusal to eat is usually temporary. A young child’s interest in food will wax and wane — dipping during teething, spiking during growth spurts, dropping during bouts of contrariness, and so on. But over a period of several days or weeks, most toddlers consume the necessary nutrients needed to thrive.

Well, the truth is between the ages of 1 and 5 years old, it’s completely normal for a toddler’s appetite to slow down. It may seem like your child doesn’t eat enough, is never hungry, or won’t eat unless you spoon-feed them yourself.

At 1 year, solid foods – including healthy snacks – are now your child’s main source of energy and nutrition. He can take between three quarters to one cup of food three to four times a day, plus one to two snacks between meals.

Sending Your Child to Bed Without Dinner This old-school form of punishment for children was an ineffective tactic, according to clinical psychologist specialist Jennifer L. Baker: “Sending your child to bed without dinner is a cruel act that [doesn’t] have the desired results. …

Over-stuffing is just like it sounds — your baby or child puts too much food in their mouth and it interferes with their ability to successfully chew and swallow. What is food pocketing? Pocketing food or food packing is when your child holds food in their mouth for an extended amount of time without swallowing.

Children who pocket food should be checked out by a dentist to ensure there is nothing going on inside the mouth. If not, then an occupational and speech therapist, even if they have had no other type of therapies or been diagnosed with any medical conditions, would be the next step.

Let’s take a look at the most common causes for pocketing food in babies, toddlers, and children: 1. Sensory Processing – Children will sometimes get a food in their mouth, realize they don’t like the texture of it, and instead of spitting it out, they just hold on to it.

Pocketing food is when a child holds on to food in their mouth without swallowing it. Most kids will hold it in their cheeks or tucked behind or in front of their gums! Either way, it’s as if they’re sticking their food in a little pocket. Why Do Children, Toddlers, and Even Babies Pocket Food?