13 months old and feeding themselves

[nikkif]

Charlotte is great with feeding herself with her fingers but if i give her the spoon with something on it she will sometimes put it in her mouth and eat but mainly she bashes it everywhere and tips bowl upside down. How do i encourage her to eat herself more? I know they are all different but where are you LOs at with this?

 

[Snuggle]

When you figure this out let me know too hun as Maddison does the exact same

 

[leckershell]

I always gave Ryan a spoon and have a spoon myself, so even if he's not quite interested in doing it himself he can still learn what the spoon is for and that its good for getting food. I just did that everytime I fed him and the one day he shook his head at me and wouldnt eat anything unless he did it himself and he got it right first time, straight in and the right way round too. It's as if it just clicked overnight or something so keep persevering I know now he knows how to do it but sometimes he still just bashes it in the bowl to make splatters, and I end up feeding him anyway.

 

[KJ]

I have the same problem. Asher is fine with finger food but give him a spoon and he causes havoc!!

I tend to let him hold one but rarely let him try to feed himself with it. Would rather his lovely meal that I've slaved over didn't end up on the floor in the first few seconds of dinnertime!!!

Maybe in a few months, but I just don't have the patience at the moment!

K.xxx

 

[leckershell]

Make a bit of both.. something like veggie fingers to pick up, but a few baked beans on the side or something, so if it tips it's not a big deal and he'll still have had some food down him (you're all probably much better cooks than me- veggie fingers and beans is as good as it gets here )

 

[maybebaby]

Just make sure they get lots of practice using them, the same as everything. Like leckershell said try mixing finger food with things they can eat with a spoon. The first thing ds could eat confidently with a spoon was a fromage frais (with help holding the pot) at about 16 months.

 

[leckershell]

This is the best picture I can find...

but the one I use has 3 sections in, and I put different things in each section like chicken shapes in one, potato in another and then something spoonable in the last, like beans.

Also if you use jars for things, empty them into a bowl so they've got space to get the spoon in as well as you. (Maybe thats self explanatory but sometimes I do things straight from the jar if in a rush )

 

[Sherlock]

I'd go with the two spoon approach. You have one also so that while LO messes about you can help spoon some in also. Do you have the bowls that stick down? I've not used one but some people tell me they work ok. Maybe your LO is a bit big for one now, not sure

Galen has not long started weaning (at 5 months and 2 weeks) and we have let him have a spoon since his first meal. I have to hold it and put the food on it atm but he then takes it and puts it to his mouth. I just literally hold the end and he does all the work controlling the spoon. He rarely misses but it can get a bit messy but thats the fun of weaning. He has the ability to learn how to handle a spoon so I am letting him get to grips with it. Once he has control over the spoon and can put it to a bowl he'll have a bowl also

 

[nikkif]

Thanks for the replies Charlotte has also had a spoon since i started weaning her so i guess i just have to persevere and accept theres going to be a lot more mess to come!

 

[newmum]

I think they often go in phases. At the beginning with weaning, LO was good at holding to spoon, or holding my hand to guide it into her mouth. I thought 'great, she's cracked the spoon thing at 6 months' Then as she got older she started all kinds of tricks with it but not really involving eating and now she can use it but it can take forever. I usually give her some things to pick up while I sneak spoonfuls into her mouth.

But maybe you could try a fork. I give LO a baby fork and stab some things for her and she picks it up and puts it into her mouth. Seems to be easier than a spoon which lets things fall off. And I guess we eat more from a fork than a spoon anyway so it can only help. Just have to keep an eye on her a bit more incase she waves it around and hurts herself. But so far so good.

 

[weenik]

I often use 2 spoons too, one for me and one for him. He gets the food onto his spoon and puts it into his mouth great, then when he gets bored he bashes the spoon into the bowl and food goes everywhere. I don't mind mess though.....I'm used to it now! He finds thicker food like mince, chicken etc easier to spoon that say soup because that obviously slides off easier if he turns his hand on the way to his mouth. I used to praise him often when he managed it then he would keep doing it so I would cheer him (he's a show off!) x