What is PLATES?
PLATES is a supportive 6-week online workshop for parents and caregivers of children aged 2-6 years. The workshop is designed to help parents better understand children's eating behaviours, mealtime challenges, and the emotional side of feeding in a practical, supportive, and non-judgemental way.
The workshop has been designed via research by Dr Rachael Molitor, a Chartered Psychologist and Trainee Health Psychologist, specialising in Children's Eating Behaviours, emotionality and temperament.
The workshop has been designed via research by Dr Rachael Molitor, a Chartered Psychologist and Trainee Health Psychologist, specialising in Children's Eating Behaviours, emotionality and temperament.
Why has this workshop been developed?
Many young children go through phases of food fussiness, emotional eating, or conflict around mealtimes. These can be common and often reflect normal development, including growing independence and emotions, however can still feel stressful for parents and can affect feeding and mealtimes.
PLATES has been developed to support parents in understanding challenges more clearly and feeling confident in how to respond. The workshop is based on the idea that feeding is not only about what children eat, but also how they eat, how they feel around food, and how mealtimes are experienced.
PLATES has been developed to support parents in understanding challenges more clearly and feeling confident in how to respond. The workshop is based on the idea that feeding is not only about what children eat, but also how they eat, how they feel around food, and how mealtimes are experienced.
What will the workshop cover?
PLATES will run online over 6 consecutive weeks.
Each week will provide a small amount of pre-recorded material to cover the topic area and important information. This will help guide the live session to cover the material and how this relates in a practical and applied way.
The live sessions, each lasting around 60 minutes, will include helpful information, guided discussion, reflective activities, and practical strategies for home.
Each week will provide a small amount of pre-recorded material to cover the topic area and important information. This will help guide the live session to cover the material and how this relates in a practical and applied way.
The live sessions, each lasting around 60 minutes, will include helpful information, guided discussion, reflective activities, and practical strategies for home.
How can PLATES help?
The workshop is designed to help parents better understand common eating behaviours in early childhood and understand how child temperament and emotions can influence feeding challenges. The workshop aims to provide parents with tools, to build confidence when responding in the mealtime environment. It aims to help parents feel more informed, more confident, and less stressed around feeding and mealtimes.
What would taking part involve?
If you choose to take part, you will be asked to watch the short pre-recorded material and attend the weekly workshop sessions. You will also be asked to complete a short anonymous questionnaire before the workshop begins and a short follow-up questionnaire at the end of the 6 weeks.
This is because the workshop forms part of accredited Stage 2 Health Psychology training and includes an evaluation of how the programme helps improve parental knowledge and confidence. All information collected will be anonymised, stored securely, and reported only at group level.
This is because the workshop forms part of accredited Stage 2 Health Psychology training and includes an evaluation of how the programme helps improve parental knowledge and confidence. All information collected will be anonymised, stored securely, and reported only at group level.
A final thought; supportive workshop for parents
PLATES is intended to be a supportive space for parents to reflect, learn, and share experiences.
It is about helping parents better understand children’s eating behaviours and feel more confident in creating calmer, more positive mealtime experiences at home.
It is about helping parents better understand children’s eating behaviours and feel more confident in creating calmer, more positive mealtime experiences at home.
Interested?
Please fill in the Expression of Interest Form below: