When feeding feels confusing…
The Eating with EASE Academy helps you understand what is really going on.
The Eating with EASE Academy is a step-by-step parent learning program that explains why feeding challenges happen and how to support children in ways that build curiosity and confidence.
The program walks you step-by-step through the sensory, developmental, and relationship factors that shape how children learn to eat — so feeding starts to make sense again.
Eating with EASE is accessed inside the Raising Curious Eaters community.
Children’s eating is shaped by sensory experiences, nervous system regulation, development, and the relationship they experience at the table.
Many families arrive here because their child struggles with picky eating, food refusal, sensory sensitivities, or stress around mealtimes.
When those pieces aren’t fully understood, you are often left trying strategy after strategy without knowing why something works one day and not the next.
Eating with EASE helps you step back from the guesswork so you can respond to your child’s eating with more clarity and confidence.
Feeding challenges rarely come from just one place.
What begins to shift when feeding finally starts to make sense?
You might go out to a restaurant without packing a backup meal “just in case”.
You might go on vacation without hauling a suitcase full of “safe” foods.
Birthday parties and social gatherings might feel fun again—not stressful or overwhelming.
You might stop dreading mealtimes and start enjoying those precious moments with your child.
Mealtimes feel a little calmer.
You feel more confident responding to your child’s cues.
Your child becomes more curious about food instead of guarded around it.
And instead of wondering what to try next, you begin to understand what your child’s eating experiences are communicating.
These are the kinds of shifts many families begin to experience as they start viewing feeding through a sensory, developmental, and relationship-based lens.
You may begin to notice small changes.
A relationship-based approach to feeding looks at the whole child.
My approach considers sensory experiences, nervous system regulation, development, and the relationship a child experiences at the table.
When these pieces are understood together, feeding begins to make more sense — for both you and your child.
Hi, I’m Brenda.
I know the worry that comes when your child refuses food for the hundredth time — the frustration, the guilt, the exhaustion.
As a pediatric occupational therapist and feeding specialist, I’ve helped hundreds of families move from mealtime stress to calmer, more connected experiences at the table.
That experience is what shaped Eating with EASE, the learning program inside Raising Curious Eaters that helps parents understand why feeding challenges happen and how to support children in ways that build curiosity and confidence.
Inside The Eating with EASE Academy
With The Eating with EASE Academy, you’ll learn how to:
E = EMPOWER yourself with the knowledge and personalized strategies to make confident decisions that work for your family.
A = ADAPT the mealtime environment and ATTUNE to your child’s unique needs, fostering connection and trust.
S = SUPPORT your child’s sensory and motor development, creating a strong foundation for eating success.
E = ENJOY peaceful, connected mealtimes where your family can flourish together.
Feeding kids who struggle with eating isn’t EASY…
But with the right understanding, we can EASE our way forward.
• practical strategies you can begin using right away
• real-life examples from feeding sessions and everyday family life
• simple explanations that help you understand what your child’s eating experiences may be communicating
Inside The Academy You’ll Find:
All designed to help even the most challenging mealtimes feel more manageable.
Module 1: Building Trust at the Table – The Power of Responsive Feeding
Discover simple strategies to create a calmer, less stressful mealtime experience.
Learn how to respond to your child’s cues to build trust and connection during meals.
Module 2: Setting the Stage for Mealtime Success
Design a sensory-friendly space that encourages curiosity and calm.
Recognize your child’s non-verbal cues so you can respond early and keep mealtimes on track.
Module 3: Sensory Strategies for Calm and Curious Eating
Unlock the power of the vagus nerve to help your child feel safe and regulated.
Use co-regulation techniques to ease anxiety and create joyful eating moments.
Module 4: Strengthening the Skills for Eating Success
Boost your child’s posture and breath control to improve chewing and swallowing.
Build essential oral motor skills to support eating confidence.
Module 5: Playful Strategies to Spark Food Curiosity
Introduce fun, low-pressure activities that inspire adventurous eating.
Encourage autonomy and flexibility to make mealtimes more enjoyable for everyone.
Module 6: Deepening Connection for Lasting Progress
Use proven techniques to nurture emotional resilience at the table.
Cultivate your child’s internal motivation to explore new foods with confidence.
Conclusion: Celebrate, Reflect, and Keep Moving Forward
Reflect on your family’s progress and celebrate your wins.
Learn how to keep building peaceful, joyful mealtimes long after the course ends.
Together, these lessons help you begin seeing feeding through a new lens — one that supports your child’s development while reducing pressure and stress at the table.
What Parents Begin to Notice
“I finally feel hopeful.”
“Brenda’s thoughtful guidance and compassion helped us completely shift our feeding relationship. Through her patient, no-pressure approach, we learned that small, consistent changes really do add up over time. Our son has gone from not eating to trying everything. He’s still working on eating more at one time, but now he feels safe exploring foods — and I finally feel hopeful.”
—Lydia C.
“I felt so much guilt—Until Brenda helped me see a better way.”
— Lindsay, mom to R, 19 months
“Before working with Brenda, I felt overwhelmed with guilt about not doing enough for my toddler. Her reflux made feeding especially challenging. Brenda helped us notice her hunger cues and use play to encourage participation at the table. Over time, my daughter’s anxiety around food eased, and we began to see real progress in her eating and development. Brenda’s compassion and expertise were exactly what we needed during such a stressful time.”
“Brenda was my lifeline when I felt like giving up.”
“Before working with Brenda, I felt hopeless — like my daughter would never eat well. It was such a hard and lonely time. During our work together, Brenda truly was my lifeline. Her guidance helped me step back, trust the process, and make small changes that added up to a huge difference. Now I feel so much more hopeful, like we’re finally moving in the right direction. Thank you, Brenda, for being my voice of reason and for your kindness and encouragement.”
— Anita, mom of Reina, 14 months
Recognized for Care That Puts Relationships First
Three-Time Winner
Best of Naples Occupational Therapy
Brenda Chilstrom, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist and feeding specialist with over 30 years of experience supporting children and families. She was recently named Master Clinician of the Year at the Birth–Three Annual Conference and has been voted Best of Naples Occupational Therapist multiple times.
Raising Curious Eaters
Eating with EASE is accessed inside Raising Curious Eaters — an online learning and support community for parents navigating feeding challenges, sensory sensitivities, and big feelings around food, created by award-winning pediatric occupational therapist Brenda Chilstrom, OTR/L.
You can begin inside the community with free support and choose to upgrade for full access to the Eating with EASE Academy, a step-by-step parent learning program that explains why feeding challenges happen and how to support children in ways that build curiosity and confidence.
Inside the community, you’ll also receive guidance, practical strategies, and the opportunity to learn alongside other families navigating similar experiences.
You'll be prompted to create a free Skool account to access the community.
Families using the Step Up for Students FES-UA scholarship may be able to use those funds for services and learning programs through That Makes Sense OT.
If you plan to use scholarship funding, please reach out and we can walk through the process together.
FAQs
-
Eating with EASE is available inside the Raising Curious Eaters community. Parents can begin inside the community and upgrade for full access to the Academy.
-
No. The lessons are designed to be flexible so you can move at your own pace and return to the material whenever you need.
-
Eating challenges can stem from many factors including sensory sensitivities, motor development, and emotional experiences around food. The program helps you understand these deeper influences.
-
The strategies inside Eating with EASE are helpful for toddlers and young children who are still developing their eating skills, along with older children who have anxiety and stress surrounding the feeding process.
-
Yes! EASE was designed specifically to be adaptable for all populations struggling with eating. From Pediatric Feeding Disorder, ARFID, Autism, ADHD, high anxiety, and more... all will benefit because the core foundation of the program teaches how to problem solve so strategies work for your family.
-
Yes! Families using the Step Up for Students FES-UA scholarship may use those funds for services and learning programs through That Makes Sense OT. If you plan to use scholarship funds, we can walk through the process together.
Your Learning Continues Inside Raising Curious Eaters
Raising Curious Eaters is an online learning and support community for parents navigating feeding challenges, sensory sensitivities, and big feelings around food.
The community includes free support, with the option to upgrade for full access to the Eating with EASE Academy, a step-by-step parent learning program for understanding why feeding challenges happen and how to support your child with more clarity and confidence.
Inside the community you’ll also find:
• ongoing guidance and discussion around feeding and development
• a supportive space to ask questions and celebrate progress
• additional resources to help you apply what you’re learning at home
This space was created so you don’t have to navigate feeding challenges alone.
Before you go…
If feeding has felt confusing or exhausting, it’s understandable that you’ve been searching for answers.
Many parents arrive here after trying different strategies, reading the articles, and still feeling unsure about what will actually help their child.
Eating with EASE was created to bring clarity to those moments — helping you understand the sensory, developmental, and relational pieces that shape your child’s eating experiences.
When those pieces begin to make sense, feeding often starts to feel different for both you and your child.
Start Inside Raising Curious Eaters
Begin inside Raising Curious Eaters and upgrade for full access to the Eating with EASE Academy.
Copyright 2026-Brenda Chilstrom