Why eating at school feels so hard!

It’s one of the most common concerns I hear from parents:“They eat fine at home… but won’t eat at school.”

Lunchboxes come home untouched. Eating takes forever. Or it just doesn’t happen at all.

It can be confusing — and often frustrating — especially when it looks like your child is “choosing” not to eat.

But in my experience, it’s rarely that simple.

For many children, particularly those with ARFID or ADHD, eating at school isn’t just about food. It’s about sensory overwhelm, anxiety, attention, and how safe their body feels in that moment.

And when the nervous system doesn’t feel safe — eating becomes incredibly hard.

When we shift the environment, we change the outcome.

If your child is struggling with eating at school — you’re not alone, and there are ways to support this.