The New Year Can Be a Difficult Time When Your Child Is Struggling With Food

The New Year is often presented as a time of fresh starts, motivation, and “healthy habits.” For many families, it brings hope and optimism. But if your child is struggling with an eating disorder or eating difficulties, this time of year can feel heavy, worrying, and sometimes overwhelming.

You may find yourself on high alert - noticing changes in eating, mood, or behaviour - while also feeling surrounded by messages about diets, exercise, and body image. If January feels harder rather than hopeful, you are not doing anything wrong. Many parents feel this way, even if they don’t talk about it openly.

Why the New Year Can Be Especially Challenging for Children and Young People

After the disruption of the holidays, routines return - but so does diet culture. Children and teenagers are exposed to:

• Conversations about weight loss or “burning off” food

• New year challenges around food or exercise

• Social media content focused on bodies and control

• Peer pressure at school around appearance or eating

For a child who is already vulnerable, this can intensify anxiety, rigid thinking, or distress around food. Even children who seemed to be coping may struggle more at this time of year.

You might notice:

• Increased food refusal or restriction

• New rules around eating

• Heightened anxiety at mealtimes

• Emotional outbursts, withdrawal, or shutdown

• Greater focus on body image or comparison

These changes can be frightening - and it’s natural to worry about saying or doing the “wrong” thing.

You Are Not Expected to Have All the Answers

Many parents feel pressure to manage the situation perfectly: to say the right thing, cook the right food, stay calm at every meal. The reality is that supporting a child with eating difficulties is emotionally demanding, and there is no perfect response.

Your child does not need you to fix this alone.
They need you to be present, consistent, and supported too.

Struggling as a parent does not mean you are failing - it means you care.

When “Healthy Habits” Messages Can Cause Harm

At this time of year, well-meaning messages about health can unintentionally increase distress for children with eating difficulties. Comments about “balance,” “being good,” or “starting fresh” can sometimes be interpreted through a lens of fear or control.

It’s okay to:

• Avoid conversations about weight or dieting at home

• Set boundaries with extended family

• Limit exposure to triggering social media or content

• Prioritise emotional safety over external expectations

For some families, January is about stability, not change.

A Gentler Way to Think About the New Year

Rather than focusing on goals or progress, it can be helpful to think in terms of support and safety.

This might look like:

• Keeping meals predictable and consistent

• Focusing on connection rather than intake

• Validating your child’s feelings, even when behaviour is hard

• Reminding yourself that recovery is not linear

Sometimes the most important goal is simply helping your child feel less alone.

When to Seek Support

You do not need to wait until things reach crisis point to ask for help. Early support can reduce distress for both your child and your family.

Support may be helpful if:

• Eating difficulties are affecting daily life

• Mealtimes feel consistently stressful or overwhelming

• You feel stuck, unsure, or emotionally exhausted

• Your child is becoming increasingly anxious, withdrawn, or distressed

Reaching out is not an overreaction - it is a protective step.

A Final Word for Parents

If the New Year feels daunting rather than hopeful, please know this:
You are not behind.
Your child is not broken.
And this is not your fault.

Recovery and support do not follow a calendar. They happen slowly, unevenly, and often quietly. What matters most is that your child has caring adults around them - and that includes you.

If you are carrying worry into this new year, you do not have to carry it alone.

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If you’re unsure what support might help right now, you don’t need to have everything worked out before reaching out.

I offer a brief, no-obligation 15-minute parent consultation where we can talk through your concerns, think together about what your child might need, and decide whether further support feels right for your family. There’s no pressure to commit - just space to ask questions and feel less alone with what you’re carrying.

Sometimes, having a calm and compassionate conversation can make things feel a little more manageable.