The FEEd Lab
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We’re here today with our gardener, Libby, sharing an update on what's going on at the garden of one of our North Carolina Head Start centers and why she loves getting children out in the garden!
04/11/2025
👀 Did you know it’s important to teach kids how to spit at the table?
That’s right! Teaching children how to politely remove food from their mouth helps them feel safe and confident as they explore new and not-yet-preferred foods.
Imagine not being able to take food out of your mouth - no chewy piece of fatty meat, no spicy bite, no surprise bone or shell! For children, that’s what it can feel like if they think they have to swallow everything they try. When we show them it’s okay to remove food politely, we support their curiosity!
Try this:
1. Let children know it’s okay not to like every food.
2. Model how to quietly and politely remove food.
3. Provide them with a napkin for this, if needed.
Every exposure, touch, smell, lick, spit, or swallow, is a step in the right direction!
