Sooner or later, you’ll notice your toddler wanting to eat independently. It’s vital that they learn this at an early age as it will help them develop independence, be aware of their food, and hone their fine motor skills.
You might ask yourself if your child is ready to learn this new skill. Well, child development might vary from one kid to another. But generally, children will show interest in feeding themselves at about nine to 12 months. However, one good sign that your child might be ready for self-feeding is when they try to grab food with their hands and attempt to taste or lick it. Some might also push your hand away as you try to feed them and reach for the food themselves instead.
Note that waiting for these signs before introducing your child to self-feeding is essential. Doing so will help you reach success in teaching. When you think your toddler is ready, it’s time to start teaching them to feed themselves. On the other hand, parents should be patient while waiting for their children to show signs of readiness.
If this topic seems of particular interest, here are five tips and tricks to teach your toddler to eat independently.
1. Let Them Do Their Thing
Many parents tend to be overprotective and do most things for their young children. It’s undoubtedly natural to feel this way. However, if you want to teach your toddler to eat independently, you should be ready to let go and allow them to do their thing.
The more opportunities they get to practice, the faster they’ll learn and understand how self-feeding works. Allow them to discover food textures and different flavors.
Another pro tip is to let your toddler start with foods they can easily hold and put in their mouth. Foods that don’t require utensils, like Serenity Kids baby food pouches, are a good option. Other recommended foods include diced, soft-cooked fruits and vegetables like carrots, potatoes, apples, and pears. Then assess which ones they like and which ones they do not.
2. Start With Hand Feeding
As your kid is still learning how to eat independently, it’s best to start with hand feeding.
According to experts, allowing your child to use his hands to eat is an ideal way to start the independent eating process. Encourage your toddler to use his bare hands to explore new textures and develop his pincer grasp. This activity might seem petty, but it’s how they learn and improve their skill.
At this point, you may introduce baby puffs that your toddler’s tiny hands can easily pick up and bring to their mouth. You may check out these baby snacks from myserenitykids.com and similar sites.
3. Gradually Introduce Using Baby Utensils
As soon as they get the hang of eating with their bare hands, you can now introduce the use of baby utensils.
You can start by giving them a spoon to hold. As you spoon-feed them, allow them to imitate the motion you’re doing. You can also guide their hand to make the motion by dipping their spoon into the plate and slowly bringing it to their mouth.
It would also help to pre-load their spoon with food and let them put it in their mouth. It’s also ideal to give them thicker foods, such as yogurt, oats, or porridge, that are easy to scoop with a spoon. Overall, allow them to discover the use of utensils by guiding them on how to use them.
4. Be With Them Every Time
When your toddler starts to venture into this new learning, it’s crucial to stay close and watch everything they put in their mouth. As they’re naturally curious, they’ll try to taste and eat whatever they see on the table. And of course, you never want food stuck in your child’s nose or airway. So for safety purposes, adults should always be there to monitor them as they feed themselves.
Always keep in mind that they need your guidance as they learn because they don’t have any idea what’s edible and what’s not.
5. Prepare Yourself For A Big Mess
Aside from preparing your child for independent eating, you should also brace yourself for the big mess.
Remember, when you start allowing them to explore various food options that are new to them, things are expected to be messy. Because they’re still learning how to grasp and hold items, clutter is inevitable.
To lessen the chaos, let your kid use an apron and lay some towels on the floor and the table. You should also have accessible clean towels and wet wipes.
You must trust the process. Mess is to be expected as they’re still learning. But sooner or later, they’ll get better at feeding themselves.
Conclusion
Indeed, teaching your toddler to feed himself can be a fun activity for you and your child. However, it can also be tricky and challenging, especially when you’re a first-time parent.
Note that assisting your child in learning this skill will benefit both of you. Therefore, you want to ensure you’re doing it right. Considering the tips and tricks mentioned above will undeniably help you teach your toddler to eat independently.
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