How to feed a picky eater, and other parental advice

For any parent trying tirelessly to feed green peppers to a picky child … keep with it.

That’s just one piece of advice moms and dads will find on Ottawa Public Health’s newly launched website called Parenting In Ottawa. ca — “where parents can go to get in the know.”

The interactive site is a response to the strong interest shown in a department Facebook page on the same topic, and to recent research that found more than 80 per cent of parents are looking online and to social media for information.

“We know all Ottawa families are diverse, so we want to address that,” said Sherry Nigro, manager of health promotion and disease prevention at OPH. “After the success of our Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page, it shows there is a real appetite for something like this.”

Introduced last November, the Facebook page now has almost 8,000 followers and has responded to more than 250 questions from Ottawa parents. According to OPH, the page will stay active and act as “the bus that drives the website” by tracking popular topics and posting relevant information in response to questions that come up.

The website was launched Monday and aims to help Ottawa parents access relevant, reliable and local parenting information online. It has an e-newsletter sign up, expert editorial articles, topic-ofthe-day discussions and community resources for those wanting to connect and learn about taking care of their kids — at all stages and ages.

Christa Poirier, a registered nurse with Ottawa Public Health, regularly connects with parents on the Facebook page to answer questions and find community resources that fit their needs. She’s noticed that the most popular topic among Ottawa parents seemed to be healthy eating.

“There’s just so much information out there on healthy eating — whether it’s in regard to GMO products, organic foods, glutenfree options, allergies, picky eaters — it can be overwhelming,” said Poirier. “But we serve as a hub to sift through all that information and give a local perspective.”

Each month will offer up a timely theme on Parenting In Ottawa. ca, starting with “Nutrition and Healthy Eating.” Services such as Eat Right Ontario will offer nutritional advice for parents with children from the newborn stage to the teenage years.

“I have a little one at home who manages to get more food on the floor than she does in her mouth,” said Sara Zahiri, a young Ottawa mother who is an active user of the Facebook page and an advocate for the new website.

“The Facebook page gave me a lot of tips and tricks to deal with a picky eater, so I think (this new website) will be a place where it makes parenting a little easier for all of us.”