Reema's seven-year-old daughter with Down syndrome attends mainstream school but refuses to eat solids around peers, preferring buttermilk. Riddhi Deorah suggests a one-month trial of eating separately, then gradually moving her toward the group, using positive reinforcement and avoiding labels that might shame her.
It is a Down syndrome kid, special kid. She goes to a normal school. She has a shadow teacher. She'll turn eight this Saturday.
Can I request you one thing? Can you not ask me this question in front of her? You know, because you know, in front of them you should never use these terms that she's down syndrome or special kids. They should never be told these things in the first place. So you know, if the first. You know, even before you ask me your question, I just want to tell you that never put labels on them, especially in front of them. And even when you're talking to anybody, don't. Because the more you feel normal, the more you would see her like that.
Actually I'm quite grateful that she is in my life. Yes, gratitude. And she has taught me a lot. But just to put it to you, I had used it for me.
You can, but I can see her in the background. That's why I'm requesting you to not see it in front of her.
Okay? Okay. So she goes to a normal school. It's been a week that she was. Her school has started my queries. She has this thing in her mind that she would not be comfortable eating in front of others. In earlier setup she used to go to a. Like last year also she was in the same school but she did not eat. She would rather prefer buttermilk, that is her favorite. So this time I also continue with buttermilk with some solids like bread, butter, jam or a paratha or puri. Maybe she likes that. But then when I asked her, she was like, I'll eat if I ask her now if I. If her shadow teacher would ask her that you would eat in the break, she would say yes, yes, yes. And in the morning she's like, where is my tiffin? Where is my tiffin? But then she would just have buttermilk because the school is from 8 to 3. So she has we. I gave her India breakfast like paratha.
What you can do is you can have a word with the teacher.
And.
You can talk to her about this situation that you know, everything else she wants to do with the other kids only eating, you know, she wants a separate space. And you know, I understand that, you know, as a teacher it might be against what you have planned. But you know, if you could just make an exception and you know, put her in a separate space where she can finish her lunch and come back to the kids.
Oh, they are ready. Even we have asked during the last year's open house that if it's okay that we. We send her caretaker with the food. But then we are like. Then she will be habituated with that. And she would not come out of that zone to not to eat with others. So we are just taking a while that let a month pass for her.
Then we can try that. You can for a month, but you don't want to do it for too long because you know it. Yeah, that's a long time. Maybe she wants to eat. Maybe she's hungry.
He tells that I'm hungry, but still, I don't know. She refrains every time I do recommend.
Don't wait, okay? Let her eat in a separate space.
When her shadow teacher tells that I'll take you to a separate room, she would deny. She would agree in front of me. But then when actually it happens. Actually when it's the time she would deny. So we have decided that we would wait for a month like this month to take. Then I'll tell the caretaker to I'm a working mom, so otherwise I would. Then I can tell the caretaker to take the tiffin and then feed her and come back and that I do sleep talk with her. But let's see, I have just started like 10 days, 15 days back. Earlier I used to do for some other thing. Now I switched to this that she eats in the school.
You don't just have to do it during sleep talk, you do it during the day. Also you keep telling her that, you know, I trust you will eat with everybody.
Yes, I explained. Keep explaining that your heart will be strong. Because she has been going for this reports once in two years or so. And she knows that heart photo, all that Tommy will be happy, all that in a playful manner. In life of the story while feeding her. I do all that. But let's see. I'm just waiting for that day. I'm manifesting. But let's see. I thought, yeah, it will happen.
It will happen for sure. Because you seem like a very positive person. So Reema, there's nothing for you to worry.
It would definitely happen.
And if you as a mother, you feel that you want to give it one month, give it a month and then you take a call. So do.
Because then I'm not thinking much one because I was very worried. But looking at her when I come back home and in the evening she's all playful and happy. I'm like, okay, let it be. If she is fine, then yeah, let it be.
And you can wait and watch and then, you know, you can see and see if you can replace the buttermilk with a shake.
I tried. She would. She. I gave two, like, chocolate milkshake and a different. In a different compartment of buttermilk. And I said, I'm not giving you buttermilk. But she trusts me more than. So then she knows that mama will give. So she explored. And then she had buttermilk, but not the, like, chocolate milkshake, which was made out of dry fruits and bananas and all.
You just wait for some time, and she seems like an active child. And after one month, you can take a call. Yeah. Okay.
