Little Eaters & Talkers

Jean Hawney
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Little Eaters & Talkers, where we empower parents, caregivers, and professionals with practical insights to support children’s feeding and communication development. Hosted by Jean Hawney, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and feeding specialist, this podcast explores everything from introducing solids and tackling picky eating to promoting speech and language milestones.

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 39: Nursing Strike or Feeding Aversion? Why Breast Refusal Is Communication

    If your baby has suddenly started refusing the breast and everyone keeps telling you it's "just a nursing strike," this episode is for you. Sometimes it is a nursing strike. Sometimes it's the beginning of a feeding aversion — and the difference matters, because what helps one can make the other worse. Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, a pediatric feeding and swallowing specialist and lactation counselor, walks through how to tell them apart, the cycle that quietly turns refusal into aversion, and what to do first. The message she most wants you to take from this one: breast refusal is communication. The question isn't "how do I get my baby to nurse?" It's "why doesn't my baby want to nurse right now?" No judgment. No "wait and see." Just a clear way to read what your baby is telling you. 🎙️ What We Cover • What a nursing strike is, and the many reasons it happens • What a feeding aversion looks like — and the sign that always gets Jean's attention • The refusal → worry → pressure → more refusal cycle • Why feeding pressure almost always comes from love, not force • Breast refusal as communication, and the question to ask instead • How to take the pressure off without under-feeding your baby • When to call your pediatrician promptly, and when to bring in a feeding specialist • Why the feeding relationship matters as much as the ounces 📚 Free Resources 📄 Free feeding downloads: thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloads 📝 Browse the blog: thelittleeaters.com/blog 🛒 20% off EZPZ feeding gear: partners.ezpzfun.com/LITTLEEATERS 🤝 Connect with Jean 🌐 Website: thelittleeaters.com 📸 Instagram: @littleeaters_talkers 🔗 Everything: linktr.ee/thelittleeaters Little Eaters & Talkers is hosted by Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist in Houston, Texas. Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or therapeutic advice. If you're concerned about your child's eating, speak with your pediatrician or a qualified feeding specialist.

  2. Sep 18

    Episode 38: Why "Just One Bite" Backfires (And What to Say at Dinner Instead)

    You said it before you even heard yourself say it. Just one bite. And the whole table changed. Their shoulders came up. The fork went down. The food that was almost, maybe okay a second ago is suddenly the enemy. And dinner is over before it started. In this episode, Jean Hawney, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist, explains what that one sentence actually does to a child's nervous system and gives you five things to say instead, word for word, that you can use at dinner tonight. Why pressure at the table does not just fail in the moment, it teaches your child to file that food under danger. Once a food is attached to a fight, it stops starting from neutral, and the list of foods your child will try quietly gets smaller. What the division of labor at the table really is, and why letting go of the outcome is the thing that finally makes eating grow. You decide what is served, when, and where. Your child decides whether they eat, and how much. Five things to say instead of just one bite, including the exit that makes a child willing to explore a food, and the one move, saying nothing at all, that does more than any sentence you could add. What actually counts as a win, because if you are waiting for a bite you will miss the real progress and give up right before it works. A look, a touch, a lick, and a face are not rejection. They are data. How to tell the difference between a cautious eater who is growing slowly and a sign that needs a real evaluation, including when you can self-refer without waiting for anyone's permission. Whether your child has been selective since the very first spoon, whether the food list has been shrinking and you cannot figure out why, whether you have tried every version of just one bite and it keeps backfiring, or whether your gut is telling you this is more than a phase, this episode gives you a clear way to see what is happening and exactly what to do next. Resources Mentioned: Courses: thelittleeaters.com/CoursesFree Downloads: thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloadsBook an Evaluation: thelittleeaters.janeapp.comFollow Jean on Instagram: @littleeaters_talkers If this episode helped, share it with a parent who has been fighting the same green bean for a month and wondering why nothing is changing.

  3. Aug 31

    Episode 37: Why Your Child Won't Eat at School (And What to Actually Put in the Lunchbox)

    You packed it carefully. The sandwich cut the way they like it. The crackers in the separate container so they don't get soggy. The fruit on the side. You knew exactly what was in that bag when you zipped it shut at seven-thirty. And then the lunchbox comes home. Same sandwich. Same crackers. Same fruit. All of it. And when you ask how lunch was, they shrug and say the cafeteria was loud. In this episode, Jean Hawney, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist, explains what a school cafeteria actually asks of a child's nervous system and gives you five specific things you can change about what you're packing before Monday morning. Why the same food your child eats at your kitchen table comes home untouched from school, and why it has nothing to do with the food itself. The cafeteria is a sensory environment that looks nothing like the place where your child learned to eat that food in the first place. What a "regulation budget" is and why school spends most of it before your child ever sits down with their lunch. By the time the tray hits the table, eating something unfamiliar may simply be out of reach. Five lunchbox changes you can make this week, including why cutting portions in half works better than packing more variety, and the one thing you can do on a Saturday that fixes more lunches than anything else Jean recommends. The one question to stop asking in the pickup line and what to ask instead. Parents who make this switch say they learn more in a week than they had in the previous month. How to tell the difference between normal back-to-school adjustment and a sign that your child's eating needs a real evaluation, including when you can self-refer without waiting for a pediatrician. Whether your child has always been a selective eater and school just makes it harder, whether you noticed the food list shrinking a few weeks into the school year and assumed something went wrong, whether you've been told to just keep trying different foods and it hasn't worked, or whether your gut is telling you this is more than the cafeteria, this episode gives you a clear framework for what you're actually looking at and what to do next. Resources Mentioned: Courses: thelittleeaters.com/CoursesFree Downloads: thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloadsBook an Evaluation: thelittleeaters.janeapp.comFollow Jean on Instagram: @littleeaters_talkers If this episode helped, share it with a parent who is packing that first lunchbox this week and wondering why it keeps coming home full.

  4. Aug 14

    Episode 36: "This Isn't an Eating Problem": Russell-Silver, Bottle Aversion & Trusting Your Gut

    If you've ever been told to "wait and see" while your gut said something more was going on, this episode is for you. Jaime became a mom in about three hours — one phone call, one flight, and an infant adoption. What followed was a month in the NICU, an NG tube, a tongue-tie nobody caught early, a bottle aversion, and a daughter who kept falling off the growth chart while everyone told her to add more calories. It took a hospital admission and a geneticist before anyone said the words Russell-Silver syndrome. Jaime joins Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, to walk through all of it — the appointments that went nowhere, the moment she stopped accepting "she'll grow out of it," and the risk she took that finally changed things. No judgment. No "wait and see." Just an honest account of what it takes to advocate for a child who isn't eating. 🎙️ What We Cover • Becoming parents in three hours, and a month in the NICU • Tongue-tie, lip-tie and cheek-tie — and what gets missed • Bottle aversion: what it looks like and how it starts • Starting solids when feeding has already been hard • Why "just add more calories" doesn't fix growth • Failure to thrive, the hospital, and when a feeding tube is and isn't the answer • Getting a Russell-Silver diagnosis — and why a standard genetic panel comes back normal • Why waiting is never neutral 📚 Free Resources 📄 Free feeding downloads: thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloads 📝 Browse the blog: thelittleeaters.com/blog 🛒 20% off EZPZ feeding gear: partners.ezpzfun.com/LITTLEEATERS 🤝 Connect with Jean 🌐 Website: thelittleeaters.com 📸 Instagram: @littleeaters_talkers 🔗 Everything: linktr.ee/thelittleeaters Little Eaters & Talkers is hosted by Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist in Houston, Texas. Disclaimer: This episode is one family's personal experience and is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individualized medical or therapeutic advice. If you're concerned about your child's eating or growth, speak with your pediatrician or a qualified feeding specialist.

  5. Jul 23

    Episode 35: What to Say to Your Pediatrician When You're Worried About Feeding (And What to Do When They Don't Listen)

    You sat in that office for eleven minutes. You waited three weeks for that appointment. And when you finally said the words out loud, "I'm worried about how my child is eating," they looked up from the clipboard and said, "That's pretty normal. Just keep offering different foods. They'll grow out of it." You walked out to the parking lot wondering if you had imagined the whole thing. In this episode, Jean Hawney, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist, explains why feeding concerns get missed at well-child visits and gives you the exact words to use so they don't get missed again. Why pediatricians often miss feeding issues and why it has nothing to do with them not caring. Most medical programs include only two to four hours of total nutrition training, which means feeding disorders fall completely outside the standard screening checklist.The five specific sentences that get a feeding referral faster than anything else and why being vague gets a vague response, while specific clinical language gets clinical action.What to say word for word when you hear, "Just wait and see." This script removes the pressure from your pediatrician and makes saying yes to a referral much easier.Why you don't need a referral at all, including Early Intervention for children under three, free school district evaluations for children over three, and the option to self-refer directly to a private feeding clinic.What actually happens at a feeding evaluation so the fear of the unknown stops being the reason families don't go.Whether your child has been eating fewer than twenty foods for over a year, whether you've been told to wait and see at two or three appointments already, whether you've never heard of Early Intervention and your child is already two and a half, or whether you just need someone to confirm that pushing back on your pediatrician is allowed, this episode gives you everything you need to walk into that office differently. Resources Mentioned: Courses:⁠ thelittleeaters.com/Courses⁠ Free Downloads: ⁠thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloads⁠ Book an Evaluation: ⁠thelittleeaters.janeapp.com⁠ Follow Jean on Instagram: ⁠@littleeaters_talkers⁠ If this episode gave you that "aha" moment — share it with a parent who's been putting the same food on the plate for months and wondering why nothing is changing.

  6. Jul 2

    Episode 34: What Is ARFID? It's Not Just Picky Eating (with Kelly Komisaruk)

    If you've ever been told your child is "just a picky eater" but your gut says it's more than that, this episode is for you. ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is so much more than having a short list of "safe foods." Feeding specialist Kelly Komisaruk joins Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, to explain what ARFID really is, why traditional feeding therapy often isn't enough on its own, and what meaningful progress actually looks like for families navigating it every day. No judgment. No "wait and see." Just practical, evidence-based guidance to help your child build a safer, healthier relationship with food. 🎙️ What We Cover • What ARFID really is and how it's different from typical picky eating • Why feeding therapy alone often isn't enough • The role anxiety and mental health play at the table • How to get the whole family on the same page • Accommodations that quietly make things worse • The red flags that mean it's time to seek help • What "progress" actually looks like 📚 Free Resources 📄 Free feeding downloads: thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloads 📝 Browse the blog: thelittleeaters.com/blog 🛒 20% off EZPZ feeding gear: partners.ezpzfun.com/LITTLEEATERS 🤝 Connect with Jean 🌐 Website: thelittleeaters.com 📸 Instagram: @littleeaters_talkers 🔗 Everything: linktr.ee/thelittleeaters Little Eaters & Talkers is hosted by Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist in Houston, Texas. Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or therapeutic advice. If you're concerned about your child's eating, speak with your pediatrician or a qualified feeding specialist.

  7. Jun 15

    Episode 33: Why Your Toddler Only Eats Beige Foods — The Sensory Truth Nobody Tells You

    You followed the advice. You kept offering the broccoli. You put it on the plate again and again for two years. Mealtime is now something everyone in your house dreads — and your child still won't touch it. In this episode, Jean Hawney, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist, explains why the standard advice completely backfires for sensory-sensitive kids — and what to do instead. In this episode, you'll learn: Why your child isn't choosing beige — their nervous system is, and understanding that one shift changes everything about how you respond at the table. The critical difference between a food preference and a sensory need — and why the approach for each one is completely different. Why "just keep offering it" doesn't just fail for sensory kids — it can actually make the aversion stronger with every exposure. The 7-step sensory ladder: why eating is the last rung, not the first, and how real progress looks long before a bite is ever taken. Food chaining — how to build bridges from your child's safe foods to new ones by changing only one tiny thing at a time. Whether your child gags at the sight of something new, melts down when an unfamiliar food touches their plate, has been a beige-only eater for years, or you've tried everything and nothing is working — this episode gives you a completely different way forward. Resources Mentioned: Courses: thelittleeaters.com/Courses Free Downloads: thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloads Book an Evaluation: thelittleeaters.janeapp.com Follow Jean on Instagram: @littleeaters_talkers If this episode gave you that "aha" moment — share it with a parent who's been putting the same food on the plate for months and wondering why nothing is changing.

  8. May 25

    Episode 32: The Feeding-Speech Connection Nobody Talks About

    You took your child to speech therapy for the talking. You were told to just keep offering food for the eating. Two separate waitlists, two separate specialists, zero conversation about how they might actually be the same problem. In this episode, Jean Hawney, a pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist, explains the connection between feeding and speech that most families never hear about — and why, if your child is a late talker and a picky eater, that combination is not a coincidence. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the mouth is one shared system — and how the same muscles your child uses to chew and swallow are the exact muscles they need to make speech sounds. The five signs that your child's feeding challenges and speech delays are connected. Why your child's SLP should be asking about feeding at every appointment — and what to say if they never have. Simple oral motor activities you can start this week that support both eating and talking at the same time. When one specialist isn't enough — and how to build the right team for a child who needs support in both areas. Whether your child gags on textures, drools past the age where most kids stop, is hard to understand even by people who know them well, or you've just felt like you're only getting half the picture from your current team — this episode gives you the full picture. Resources Mentioned: Courses: thelittleeaters.com/Courses Free Downloads: thelittleeaters.com/FreeDownloads Book an Evaluation: thelittleeaters.janeapp.com Follow Jean on Instagram: @littleeaters_talkers If this episode gave you that "aha" moment — share it with a parent who's been chasing two separate answers for what might be one shared problem.

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About

Welcome to Little Eaters & Talkers, where we empower parents, caregivers, and professionals with practical insights to support children’s feeding and communication development. Hosted by Jean Hawney, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and feeding specialist, this podcast explores everything from introducing solids and tackling picky eating to promoting speech and language milestones.

Information

  • Creator
    Jean Hawney
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jean Hawney
  • Show Website
    Little Eaters & Talkers

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