Podcast Transcript: 3 Signs to Wait It Out (And 3 Red Flags It’s Not)
Host: Christine Miroddi Yoder
Date: July 21, 2025
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Christine:
You’ve probably heard it before—from your pediatrician, from friends, or on Facebook:
“Just wait it out.”
“They’ll grow out of it.”
“They won’t eat Cheerios forever.”
But what if that’s not happening? What if your child isn’t growing out of it, and you’re not seeing progress?
I’m Christine Miroddi Yoder, pediatric feeding therapist, creator of the Unlocking Mealtimes method, and someone who’s helped hundreds of families figure out what no one else could—whether it’s just a picky phase, or a real problem that needs support.
Because here’s the truth: sometimes waiting is totally fine. But only when it’s the right kind of picky. Other times, waiting just delays the help your child truly needs—and things can get worse.
So in this episode, I’m walking you through:
* 3 signs it’s okay to wait it out
* 3 red flags that mean it’s time to act
This way, you’ll stop second-guessing yourself and know exactly what to do next.
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✅ When Waiting It Out Might Be Okay
Sign #1: Your Child Is 2–4 Years Old and Still Exploring
If your child is between the ages of two and four and is becoming more selective—but still exploring new foods—that’s often developmentally normal.
This age is all about independence. Saying “no” becomes exciting. Food is one of the few things they can control, and they know you can’t force them to swallow. So they experiment with boundaries.
But here’s the key:
This stage shouldn’t involve fear of food. It’s about preferences, not panic.
If your child:
* Eats over 20 foods across different food groups
* Can tolerate new foods on their plate
* Joins family meals
…then this is likely just a developmental phase. And general picky eating tips and strategies will probably serve you well.
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Sign #2: Mealtimes Are Calm
Even if your child’s food list is a little limited, if they:
* Sit at the table
* Eat their preferred foods
* Tolerate new foods nearby
* Don’t gag, scream, or melt down
Then you’re in a good place. Calm, predictable, emotionally safe meals mean you can gently introduce new foods over time. You don’t need urgent intervention.
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Sign #3: Their Food List Is Narrow—but Stable
A limited list isn’t necessarily a red flag—unless it’s shrinking.
If your child’s diet has been stable for several months, they’re tolerating exposures, and they’re growing well, you probably don’t need immediate support. But you should still use low-pressure strategies to keep things moving forward.
Because stability doesn’t equal progress. It just means things haven’t worsened—yet.
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🚩 When It’s Time to Take Action
Red Flag #1: Their Food List Is Shrinking (or Under 20 Foods)
If your child eats fewer than 15–20 foods—and that number is dropping—it’s not just a phase anymore.
By age three, most kids naturally expand their food variety. If your child’s list is shrinking or stuck, there’s likely something deeper going on. We call these the four pillars:
* Oral motor delays
* Sensory processing challenges
* Gut inflammation or discomfort
* Food-related trauma or anxiety
Waiting here can backfire. The longer they avoid foods, the deeper those patterns become. When we see kids with just 3–5 foods left, progress takes much longer. But if you're in that 15–20 food range, there’s a solid window to intervene and see faster success—especially with consistency.
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Red Flag #2: Mealtimes Are Stressful or Dysregulated
If meals involve:
* Gagging
* Meltdowns
* Crying or covering ears
* Refusing to sit at the table
* Emotional shutdown
This is not normal picky eating. That’s a dysregulated nervous system. Their body is in fight-or-flight.
And I know—it’s easy to see this and think they’re “just being difficult.” But sensory overwhelm is very real. Even just seeing certain foods can cause a physical gag reflex. That’s not behavior—it’s sensory distress. And we need to address that.
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Red Flag #3: They Avoid Entire Food Groups or Mixed Textures
If your child refuses all:
* Proteins
* Fruits or vegetables
* Mixed textures (like pasta with sauce, sandwiches, or soups)
…this is beyond preference. It’s a pattern—and a problem.
Often, this comes back to oral motor or sensory challenges. For example, many kids can eat chicken nuggets but can’t chew real meat. That’s because nuggets are pre-chewed, processed, and easier to break down. But that doesn’t mean they have the chewing endurance or strength for other textures.
You can’t fix this with exposure alone. If a child can’t physically chew a food, looking at it 20 times won’t make that better. We need targeted oral motor strategies that build those muscle groups—just like physical therapy for the mouth.
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Final Thoughts
Let’s recap:
It may be okay to wait it out if:
* Your child is 2–4 and not fearful, just exploring
* Mealtimes are calm and not distressing
* Their food list is limited but stable
But you need to act if:
* Their list is shrinking or under 20 foods
* Meals are filled with stress, gagging, or meltdowns
* They avoid entire food groups or struggle with texture
The bottom line?
Waiting is fine only if progress is happening.
If your child is stuck, stressed, or regressing—it’s time to do something different.
I’ve seen this over and over again: the longer you wait once red flags appear, the harder the road back becomes. The list gets shorter, the challenges get bigger, and the work takes longer.
I don’t want that for you. I want to save you stress, time, and money by catching these issues early.
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What To Do Next
If you’re not sure where to start, take our free quiz to find out if your child is in the Fearful, Stuck, or Curious stage. Based on that, we’ll tell you the best next step and what support is most appropriate for their level.
Because cookie-cutter advice doesn’t work. Your child deserves something tailored to their needs.
And if you’re lucky enough to be in the developmental zone—great! You’ve got time. But if you’re in red flag territory, we’re here to help.
Thanks for tuning in. I hope you have a great mealtime together tonight. We'll see you next week.
