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EAT => Feeding Solid Food => Topic started by: Chloevalentine on May 30, 2014, 14:44:13 pm

Title: Baby wants to feed himself
Post by: Chloevalentine on May 30, 2014, 14:44:13 pm
My lo is 11 months old and has been eating finger foods for a few months. I find that now that i don't spoon feed him anymore and he's not yet using a spoon some of the recipes I find are for stews and soups?  I've been showing him how to use a fork but he mostly just picks up with his hands. Should I be introducing a spoon soon? I've even made smoothies now that he can drink rather than spoon feeding yogurt. Im out of ideas for foods/recipes that can be cut up so he can pick up. I feel like I make everything into a pancake lol! Any suggestions
Title: Re: Baby wants to feed himself
Post by: jessmum46 on May 30, 2014, 15:01:12 pm
I'd give him a spoon and use one yourself too so he can see what to do with it.  I used to load up spoons for DD and then help her to hold them and guide them to her mouth.  Stews and soups can be made quite thickly so some will stick to the spoon even if he's not using it the right way up or holding it stably.  Yogurt is perfect for similar reasons, or things like custard or rice pudding.  You can also give pieces of bread or similar alongside to dunk :)
Title: Re: Baby wants to feed himself
Post by: Chloevalentine on May 30, 2014, 15:07:56 pm
I do load up the fork and he's gotten the hang of it but still rather pick up with hands lol. I'll try loading the spoon too!i just find it hard to make a whole meal of finger foods. I'll give a thick stew a try. Thanks so much !
Title: Re: Baby wants to feed himself
Post by: creations on May 31, 2014, 07:57:47 am
What sort of meals do you make for yourself? Can you offer those or adapt them slightly? I mostly made our normal meals but kept things chunky so DS could pick them up (either with fingers or fork). So for a stew I cut veggies bigger than I normally would and when I served up I could pick out the larger pieces for DS - and because he liked to recognise what was on his plate I served his up in little piles (carrots, aubergine, courgette, pepper etc) rather than a bowl of mixed stew, and didn't leave too much of the gravy on his plate. He loved veggies made in a stew but wouldn't have eaten it mixed or with a spoon. I did the same with curry, put out little piles of meat, veg, lentils, and served with chapati or naan bread - only the lentils needed a spoon really.
Otherwise things like fish/meat with potatoes and steamed veggies are easy to pick up. Roasted root veggies with meat/fish. Pasta with chunky roasted vegetable sauce or with a simple dressing and steamed veggies and/or salad as a side.

Mine never liked mushy or mixed foods so I stopped making things like soups, fish pie, shepherds pie - the sort of things that have mashed potato on top, mixed ingredients underneath and needed a spoon (although many LOs also pick up fist fulls of mashed potato).  He didn't eat soup until he was almost 3yo and even now it is not a favourite.  It depends what you like to cook and what your LO likes to eat really.
I would introduce a spoon but not expect it to be used proficiently. It's quite hard to use a spoon correctly because of the way the wrist has to move.  There are some finger food ideas here
Finger Foods (6 months+)
Title: Re: Baby wants to feed himself
Post by: weaver on May 31, 2014, 09:44:17 am
I think it's normal enough to use his hands at this age.  Give him spoons by all means, but don't worry if he's using his hands.  The main thing is that he is enjoying his food and getting used to eating lots of different things.  Well done!
Title: Re: Baby wants to feed himself
Post by: Chloevalentine on May 31, 2014, 13:38:00 pm
Thank you everyone!