chewing eating - 7 year old - disorder?

[shanny]

.....in the last few days my 7 year old who normally eats well has started chewing her food excessively - filling up her mouth- and then refusing to swallow / pretending to / spitting it out............she is an anxious child and is the oldest of 4 and i had the last one 9 days ago........so it might be a reaction to this but we are unsure how to deal with it and find ourselves getting cross.........do not want it to become an issue

 

[mummy2o]

Have you spoken to her about this? Or is it possible to have some mother and daughter one on one time to see if its something else that is bothering her? Sometimes a good bonding session just doing something she likes to do would help her open up to you or your partner

 

[pinklightbulb]

It could be related to anxiety. I would take her for a workup with a GP to be on the safe side.

 

[lozzy21]

Some times when kids get funny about food it's about control. They feel they have no control over something in their life so try to get control some other way. Maybe try to give her a bit more say in things, the obvious one being give her two choices of food that you can cook for tea.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

Is it everything she is doing this with ? I used to do this with meat or something I didn't like