Food Fight: A Middle Schooler's Fight for Self-Acceptance

06/27/23 • 25 min

" You know, once you become an expert in being yourself, navigating the world gets a whole lot easier." Olivia, from Food Fight
Did you know some picky eating is considered an eating disorder? Extreme cases are now diagnosed as ARFID, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Local author and social worker Linda B. Davis is releasing the book, Food Fight, to help readers better understand this mental illness through the eyes of a middle schooler. In the final episode of season two of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, Davis talks with our podcast hosts, Amy and Lisa, about the teenager who inspired the story and the lesson we can all learn about accepting ourselves.

Food Fight (released June 27, 2023, Regal House Publishing) is available at local, independent book stores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Linda's Book Launch Events:
June 27th Book Bin Event 6-8pm Northbrook IL
July 11st Book Stall Event, 6:30-7:30pm Winnetka IL
SHOW NOTES:
NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) Support Line
ARFID Information from NEDA
FEAST (Global Support Group for Caregivers)
©CATCH 2023
Music Credit: Tune 2 go / POND 5

To find all of the resources CATCH provides to caregivers of young people struggling with their mental health, go to www.catchiscommunity.org.
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CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, is a 501(c)3 that provides support and education for families around mental health topics. Original content and materials from CATCH and its collaborators are for informational purposes only. They are provided as a general resource and are not specific to any person or circumstance.

Food Fight (released June 27, 2023, Regal House Publishing) is available at local, independent book stores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Previous Episode

Hands Off! Let Them Do It! Playing IS Learning

Don’t worry about reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic for your young children. During the preschool years, they learn all they need to know from playtime. In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, Amy and Lisa talk to Sue Carr, Director of Monona Grove Nursery School in Madison, Wisconsin, about the lessons that come from independent exploration with peers.
So put in your earbuds, take this 30 minutes for you and join our conversation because mental health matters.
Music Credit: Tune 2 go / POND 5
©CATCH 2023

Next Episode

The Power of Stories, A Conversation with Northbrook’s Tara LaCerra

" I guess we shouldn't make up someone else's story," stated a kindergartner after hearing the book Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena.
That is the powerful message one kindergarten student walked away understanding from their library time with Tara LaCerra. LaCerra is a beloved librarian at one of our local elementary schools. She sees firsthand how our youths’ mental health has changed over the last decade; the anxiety, the frustration, the struggle to build resilience. And she shares a message of hope noting that stories are still powerful tools for self-identification and acceptance of others. Amy and Dr. Lisa sat down with her to start season three of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, LaCerra talks with our podcast hosts about how stories and conversations create connections with our kids.
Check out our Show Notes for all of the wonderful books she brought with her to share during our conversation.
SHOW NOTES
06:00 Wait Until 8th Instagram
10:43 Perfectly Norman, Tom Percival (preschool-3rd grade)
11:43 Odd Dog Out, Rob Buddulph (preschool - 3rd grade)
12:39 El Deafo, Cece Bell (3rd-7th grades)
13:28 Starfish, Lisa Fipps (5th-6th grades)
22:22 Milo Imagines the World, Matt de la Pena (preschool-3rd grade)
26:46 Don't Feed the Worry Bug: A Children's Book About Worry, Andi Green (preschool-2nd grade)
27:06 Parenting the Mental Health Generation: Help! My kid is falling apart!
27:47 Fish in a Tree, Lynda Mullaly Hunt (5th-9th grades)
30:16 Each Kindness, Jacqueline Woodson (kindergarten-3rd grade)
33:55 Dr. Becky's Good Inside website
©CATCH 2023
Music credit: Tune 2 go / POND 5

Parenting the Mental Health Generation - Food Fight: A Middle Schooler's Fight for Self-Acceptance

Transcript

[00:00:00] Dr. Lisa Novak, CATCH Board Member: It's time for another episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, and we have something exciting in store for you today. We're thrilled to welcome Linda to our show, author of a soon to be released book, Food Fight. While new to the world of authorship, she's a seasoned parent of two now young adult daughters, a former social worker and a local member of our community, and we are thrilled to have her here with us.

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