Author Topic: 11 months doesn't like finger foods  (Read 3951 times)

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Offline mariarico

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11 months doesn't like finger foods
« on: October 27, 2017, 14:29:58 pm »
 Hello, I am having a hard time with my son self feeding. He wants me to feed him food. He always had a sensitive gag reflex, so I gave Him purée until he was about 8 to 9 months. The only thing he can handle are dry puffs on his own.
 I tried baby led weaning for a few weeks, but he has been squishing the food and throwing it on the floor. He never puts it in his mouth. He only eats if I feed him. He will be almost 1 years old, and he doesn't have much interest in eating finger foods, but has no problem if I feed him mashed up foods. I think he's lazy to feed himself?? Lol
Don't know what to do??
If I don't feed him (and just let him try finger foods), he cries and is irritable afterwards, I think because he's still hungry. So I cave, and feed him and he finishes a bowl of food.

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Re: 11 months doesn't like finger foods
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2017, 07:29:02 am »
Hi there
Sometimes LOs expect mummy to feed them because after all milk came from mummy (or another care giver if bottle fed) so they expect mummy/care giver to continue with the solid foods too.
A few things which can help (you may already be doing these):
- eat the same thing as your LO at the same time (either give LO the family meal or if you are giving particular finger foods then have those yourself too)
- demonstrate how to eat the food and make some yum sounds
- talk about what you are eating in a very enthusiastic way "ooh I have a carrot stick here, do you have a carrot stick? Does yours look the same as mine?  Ooh yes it does.  I'm going to try it, mmm, nice, how's yours? is it tasty?"
- hold out food for LO to take from you (rather than him having to pick it up himself) and encourage him to take it eg "you try" "you do it"
- if you prepare mashed foods pre-load his spoon but then show him how to take the spoon and feed himself
- keep everything light and happy so that meal times are good experiences and encouraging rather than demanding for him
- ignore food dropped to the floor, clear it up later rather than during meal time

What are the dry puffs? Are they a shop bought baby snack?  it could be that he likes to pick those up himself because they are dry, perhaps try some drier foods for him to pick up?  Toast, bread sticks, crackers.  Dry baked apple wedges (or potato, carrot, sweet potato, etc) are relatively dry on the outside but soft inside, if your DS doesn't like wet squishy things in his hand things like this could help.  Maybe try some savoury scones or sugar free mini muffins which are dry to pick up (and although savoury they are sweetened with fruit such as banana so are very appealing - he might be more inclined to self feed if he is getting "cake").  I used to make lots of mini American pancakes and oaty chews which are dry too.
if you can just expand what he will self feed bit by bit eventually he'll get that he is to feed himself every meal.

You could also try a fork rather than fingers, mine always used a fork from very young as spoons are pretty tricky to manipulate properly without the food dropping off. Forks are more forgiving for turning them the wrong way or switching from hand to hand.  Mine kind of got used to having the mess on his hands but he wasn't a huge fan of messy eating and the fork helped.

Setting aside 5 mins or so before a meal to spend focused 1:1 time with him could help. if you are busy preparing food and the time he gets with you is when you are feeding him this could a way of him getting some lovely bonding time.  If you spend 5 mins chatting, cuddling, reading a book etc before the meal he might have his mummy cup more filled before he eats and be more inclined to have a try.  Keep up the encouraging chat though so he still feels the positive effects of family sharing a meal.

Does he pick up a sippy cup himself to have a drink of water?

Otherwise, try not to worry too much. He'll get there bit by bit.
Hope this helps some


Offline mariarico

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Re: 11 months doesn't like finger foods
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2017, 16:33:57 pm »
Thanks so much!
I've been doing most of these things, and yes he only has success with dry foods
He cont pick up fruit bc it's slippery.
He does try to eat a few pieces on his own, but he gets tired after a few pieces. So then I help him afterwards.
I just don't know if I should be feeding him after he tries with a few pieces? I know he's still hungry.

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Re: 11 months doesn't like finger foods
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2017, 19:33:15 pm »
Do you think his fine motor skills are developing in other areas such as picking up toys etc? it sounds like it's tiring for him to pick up food but is that only because they are slippery and tricky?
I think if he is having a try himself and there is some reason it is tiring him so much I would probably help him if he's still hungry, it sounds kind of different from a toddler who either rejects the finger foods in their mouth or just wants mummy to feed them.

A few things you can try with regards to making things a bit easier to pick up:
- with fruits, leave skin on if you can this sometimes gives an easier gripping place, for instance with melon, I only had to tell mine once which part you eat and which you leave
- offer foods in big wedges or adult sized fingers
- with fruits and soft veggies cut in crescent moon shapes or deform the shape by prodding it or half crushing it with your finger before offering it, this gives more place for LOs fingers to grasp and get purchase on the food (eg a pear quarter can be deformed to make it easier to pick up)
- pears and apples can be oven baked in wedges which makes the outside dry but the inside soft
- things like pasta it is easier to pick up the shapes such as fusilli (twists) and spiralli twirly shape) because those shapes have grooves where LOs fingers can grip rather than smoother shapes such as penne

There are heaps of food which can be offered which are drier too. Mine didn't like mush or soup, he'd eat dip (like humous) occasionally but on the whole he didn't go for puree type foods so I know it's possible to offer a huge variety of foods in a drier type way.  I'd probably do that for a bit and see if your LO gets more interested in self feeding.


Offline mariarico

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Re: 11 months doesn't like finger foods
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2017, 21:33:27 pm »
Thank you for your suggestions

It's looks more like he gives up bc it's hard to pick up  so I will try longer pieces and the suggestions you gave.
Thanks again!!

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Re: 11 months doesn't like finger foods
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2017, 18:56:51 pm »
You're welcome.
See how you go with the different size and shape and also if he can't quite pick something up maybe hand it to him.
There are lots of other tips and recipes for finger foods.
Let me know how you get on.