Every night my 5yo stepdaughter pushed her plate away: “Sorry Mom, I’m not hungry.” My husband shrugged. But when he left for a trip, she whispered the chilling reason she never eats. My breath hitched, my hands shook violently, and I immediately locked all the doors, realizing we had to run…

collarbone, she breathed, “I beg your pardon, Mommy… I am not hungry.”

Initially, I adopted the role of the accommodating, modern step-parent. I refrained from applying pressure, I kept my vocal tones modulated, and I absolutely refused to transform the dining table into a battleground.

Children are notoriously finicky, I rationalized internally. She continue reading …