Great advice for a picky eater! I scheduled a half hour call with the Tot Squad to get some much needed advice for my toddler who has turned into a picky eater. I was concerned that he wasn’t getting the nutrition he needed and more than that, that we were allowing bad habits to set in. After experiencing some technical difficulties getting our video call started, my coach Sara listened closely to my concerns and dug deep into our current eating routine. She eased my concerns that from a nutritional perspective, my toddler was likely just fine. What a relief. She then gave some great tips and tricks to start changing his eating habits. Cutting new foods into fun shapes or different cutting techniques (fries, diced, etc) are some tricks I’ve tried incorporating and they work - he at least tries the food which is a win. She also set some ground rules for us as parents to take control back from our toddler - it’s easy to enable him to avoid a tantrum but Sara provided some steps to help set boundaries around mealtime. The price tag is a little steep for the half hour consult, but I did get a lot of value out of it and would recommend this service to anyone who’s tried scouring the internet and is looking for some advice customized to your particular child.

Helpful information I found my visit with TotSquad helpful and it was a comfortable and relaxing setting being able to have the virtual call from home. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of scheduling my appointment and that I could pretty much pick any time of day to schedule it (even on weekends and evenings). I received the TotSquad session from the Stellar Panel and chose the allergy prevention topic as my oldest child does have food allergies. As a parent of a child with food allergies (and also a dietitian myself), I saw this visit as more of a review session for my youngest (who is just starting on solid foods) and wouldn't say that I necessarily learned any new tips. However, could see this as very helpful to first time parents. The coach I met with seemed to be knowledgable in the topic and also emailed references and handouts after the call, which was much appreciated. She also did touch on other topics and asked if I had any other questions regarding breastfeeding or introducing solids.

Tot Squad consultation I got to participate in a consultation thanks to the Stellar Panel. It was a great way to review basic nutritional principles and also get into unique ways to get my toddler to eat more veggies. A great way to learn, be reassured, and make a plan.

Great feeding support The Tot Squad helped answer all my questions about starting solids with my baby. It was easy to book a call with the Tot Squad and easy to find a time that suited me. My coach was informative and answered all my questions about baby led weaning. She also provided additional resources for me reference. If I had more specific questions or my baby had issues with solid foods, I would definitely use Tot Squad again. My favorite aspect of the Tot Squad was the ease of booking an appointment and meeting via video chat. Thanks to the Stellar Panel for connecting me to the Tot Squad.

I scheduled a call with Tot Squad to… I scheduled a call with Tot Squad to discuss my toddler who is a picky eater. Booking the call was very simple - I purchased the call through the Walmart website, and then was sent very clear email instructions with a link to sign up for a time slot. I LOVED that the time slots began early in the morning and ran well past toddler bedtime, and there was also a lot of weekend availability. I was able to get an appointment as soon as the next day, and I could work around my work schedule and my kids’ routines so that the call had no impact whatsoever on our day, which was awesome. While I know remote/video appointments have become the norm (at least for now), I still really appreciated this format and flexibility as a working mom with little ones, and felt the range of times gave Tot Squad an advantage over any other video appointments I’ve scheduled. My coach, Theresa, was excellent. She was kind and empathetic but also very clearly knowledgeable about feeding concerns. I love that she is a lactation consultant in addition to a registered dietician, because she was able to incorporate information about my toddler’s nursing history and consider all aspects when thinking about her current eating habits. Theresa provided reassurance but also gave me practical suggestions, and I left the call feeling heard and with some ideas for improvement to try at home. She also followed up and provided helpful and reputable literature via email, which was a nice touch. I would consider using Tot Squad again if the price were more reasonable. The call was great for a low commitment, super convenient opportunity to speak with a professional about concerns that may or may not warrant more formal or consistent help. However, at $50 for a 20 minute session, it would probably be more cost effective for me to schedule a free screening with a local pediatric therapy clinic or to pay the co-pay through my insurance for a virtual or office visit with a specialist with similar credentials. My favorite part about Tot Squad was the convenience of scheduling and the comfort of making the call from my own home. The commitment was minimal, and it was not at all intimidating for a parent who might be hesitant to reach out for help. It’s a nice option if you are looking for a little reassurance about next steps - is a call and a few tips enough, or should I pursue something more to help my child? This is a great way to find out. Still, the cost may be prohibitive for some. For me, if I were considering this service again, it would depend on whether convenience or cost were more important to me at that moment in time. If I need an appointment right away with flexible timing, Tot Squad would be worth the price. If I can wait and work around typical business hours, I could likely save most or all of the cost by looking elsewhere.