It doesn’t take long at all for most babies to start feeding themselves finger foods, once they start receiving solids. It’s a relief for most parents, because for the first time in what might have been months, they are able to eat at the same time as their children. The baby can feed himself at least part of every meal when he learns to eat finger foods. Sometimes, a whole meal can even be given to baby that is all easy to self feed. That’s not to say that he won’t still need to be supervised, but he won’t actually need the hands on help that he was receiving when he was only being spoon fed.
Once your baby has mastered the art of self feeding finger foods, it’s time to move on to letting him have the spoon. This is definitely much harder than the finger foods transition, but one that is equally important. After all, baby eventually has to learn that is inappropriate to eat certain things with his fingers right? Handing him the spoon and letting him feed himself can be accomplished pretty easily as long as you stay consistent, though.
One of the first rules when letting baby learn to use the spoon is to not get upset when he makes a mess. He shouldn’t be given the spoon until he knows what it is for, but just because you know what something is for, doesn’t mean you know how to use it. A baby should understand that he needs to put the spoon in the food and then get the spoon into his mouth to get the food. It’s just hard for him to control it at first. He also might have a hard time understanding that he needs to hold the spoon a certain way to keep the food in it better. The food will fall off of the spoon and onto the floor while he is learning. It will also end up all over his face, and probably all over the wall if he is stationed close to one. That’s okay. He is learning how to do it. You should never punish him for this while he is still learning.
Start your baby with something that will be relatively easy for him to eat from a spoon. It’s important that you give him something that will stick to the spoon a little bit. Soup would not be a good starter food, unless you use something to thicken it up first. One of the first foods we used for our baby was oatmeal. It stuck to the spoon enough that even if he turned it upside down, there was still some food left on the spoon.
Another trick that we learned was to let him take his own time. Don’t offer him the spoon for the first time if you are rushed. Your child will probably take a long time to get any food into his mouth. If he gets frustrated and throws the spoon, you can then offer to help him. Don’t rush him, though.
Don’t let him have too much food at once. Babies often get frustrated and throw down their dishes when they are learning this new skill. Giving him a full bowl will often result in an empty tummy and a cranky baby while you go get him something else to eat after he throws all of his food in the floor. If you offer him only a small amount at a time, it will also seem easier for him to finish his food. Even if he still needs to have a refill, it will seem like a huge accomplishment to you both if he empties his bowl with his spoon.
Give your baby praise when he gets the spoon into his mouth, even if all the food has fallen off before it gets there. It is important that he knows he is doing the right thing, even if it’s not working quite right yet. This will encourage him to keep trying to get it right.
Don’t force your child to use the spoon if he doesn’t feel like it. You don’t want it to be something he hates. If he still feels like he needs Mom or Dad to do it for him sometimes, go ahead and do it. If my son is especially tired or cranky, I’ve noticed he wants us to help him more often.
Remember that this skill, like any other will take time. Be prepared for the messes and the possible tantrums when things don’t go right. Eventually your child will get the hang of it. Before you know it, your little one will be feeding himself all the time.
