"Reichmann defines the "food parent" as " the parent who is in charge of the majority of the thought and labor that goes into feeding kids, which is everything from planning meals, grocery shopping, thinking about what will work for lunches, packing lunches, making dinners, trying to get creative when you have kids with selective eating ... just all of the thought and labor behind all of that.""
"Virtually every mom knows the exact level of rage that's triggered when you lovingly place food on the dinner table in front of your children only to be met with a firm, collective, "YUCK." Such is the life of the "food parent". "The pressure is relentless," says Dr. Colleen Reichmann, an eating disorder and perinatal psychologist. "In my opinion, it's endless work throughout every day, seven days a week.""
The "food parent" handles the majority of thought and labor around feeding children, including meal planning, grocery shopping, packing lunches, cooking, and crafting strategies for selective eaters. The role creates relentless pressure and requires near-constant effort every day of the week. Mothers are most often the food parent and commonly absorb the mental load for many household tasks. A 2024 500-person study with the University of Southern California found that women take on cognitive labor for virtually all household responsibilities, including food-related duties. Some households can shift toward a 50/50 division, but research and planning often remain concentrated.
Read at TODAY.com
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