ABSTRACT
Parenting is one of life’s most difficult tasks and yet one for which we receive very little preparation. Even when things are going normally, parents may still wonder if they are doing things right. For example, the temper tantrums and food faddiness of the preschool years, and the defiance and rebelliousness of adolescence are normal and healthy phases that tend to occur at different stages of development. None the less, parents often feel mystified, worried and challenged by them, even though these behaviours are very common. It is hardly surprising then, that when a child develops an eating disorder parents often feel at a loss as to how to proceed. This is not at all unusual but hearing that you are not alone in feeling at a loss is not much help. In this chapter we offer some suggestions on how to manage your child’s eating problem and some guidelines about when to seek professional help. You will probably find it most helpful to read this chapter in conjunction with Chapters 5 and 6. Regardless of the type of eating problem your child has, do read through the sections entitled Crucial Principles and Fundamental Points of Management before and after reading the section relating to your child’s particular problem.
