How old until they feed themselves??

[williams2008]

How old are your dcks before you let them start to feed themselves? I have to many and it is wearing me out!!

[itlw8]

let them? as soon as they start finger foods so around 8 months for most and as they eat more finger foods and less baby food I only serve foods they can eat themselves. So no applesauce again until they eat with a spoon better.

[makap]

I let them feed themselves from the time they are old enough to sit up in a high chair. I give them a bowl and a spoon and I let them go at it. Its how they learn.


Its so messy but oh so cute! ::

Usually by the time they are a year old or so they are doing quite well.
(under a year old I help get the food in to make sure they eat enough)

I also give them a clean very wet face cloth afterwards for them to play with and **** on and it helps to clean/get a lot of the food off of them before I have to clean them. It also keeps them busy while I am helping the others or cleaning the others off.

I don't mind cleaning the mess they make though afterwards. Some do.

[melilley]

I let them feed themselves from the time they are old enough to sit up in a high chair. I give them a bowl and a spoon and I let them go at it. Its how they learn.


Its so messy but oh so cute! ::

Usually by the time they are a year old or so they are doing quite well.
(under a year old I help get the food in to make sure they eat enough)

I also give them a clean very wet face cloth afterwards for them to play with and **** on and it helps to clean/get a lot of the food off of them before I have to clean them. It also keeps them busy while I am helping the others or cleaning the others off.

I don't mind cleaning the mess they make though afterwards. Some do.

I think the mess is cute too....same for art projects! The messier the better, makes for great pictures...

[williams2008]

let them? as soon as they start finger foods so around 8 months for most and as they eat more finger foods and less baby food I only serve foods they can eat themselves. So no applesauce again until they eat with a spoon better.

I let them, but I guess i need to serve only foods they are able to eat with their hands as well. The spoon thing just isn't working, we have more food on the floor then they put in their mouths!

[Holiday Park]

Look into "baby led weaning" a method of introducing solids. And see which parents will ve ok with it. Or jut make it that you require some table foods by a certain age . My son did table foods/whole foods /no puree from the start and it made him "advanced" compared to other toddlers his age.

[SilverSabre25]

as soon as possible. I hate spoon feeding babies. It's my least favorite aspect of baby care.

[williams2008]

Look inyo "nany led weaning" a method of introducing solids. And see which parents will ve ok with it. Or jut make it that uou require some table foods by a certain age . My son did table foods/whole foods /no puree from the start and it made him "advanced" compared to other toddlers his age.

All of my dcks eat table food. I just thought maybe I was offering the spoon to them a little early, being that I have a set of dcps who still feed dck at home, and when he is here he acts as if he doesn't know what to do. That dcp ask me all the time, " do you let him feed himself here"?

[williams2008]

as soon as possible. I hate spoon feeding babies. It's my least favorite aspect of baby care.

[melilley]

as soon as possible. I hate spoon feeding babies. It's my least favorite aspect of baby care.

I don't know why, but that is my favorite thing to do...maybe I'm crazy...

[melilley]

Look into "baby led weaning" a method of introducing solids. And see which parents will ve ok with it. Or jut make it that you require some table foods by a certain age . My son did table foods/whole foods /no puree from the start and it made him "advanced" compared to other toddlers his age.

Interesting! How old was your son when he started eating solids? I saw that he didn't eat pureed foods, was it hard for him? I guess it wouldn't have been, or you wouldn't have fed him non pureed foods.

[SilverSabre25]

I don't know why, but that is my favorite thing to do...maybe I'm crazy...

I tend to assume that I'm the crazy one in these things. :P

[SilverSabre25]

I also second the baby led weaning approach. It's awesome, though would require careful consultation with parents regarding what they've tried at home so you know what you can offer. So, if they've had pureed carrots with no incident, you know you an steam and offer pieces of mushy carrot. Same with other foods.

[allsmiles]

i have a 12 mnth old that throws everything on the floor LOL.. I would love for him to be more independent, but i dont like the mess.. i guess i better start accepting it and let him learn?? eeekkkkk LOL

[youretooloud]

8 months with their hands, and about 12 months with a spoon.

Sometimes, I ask the parents to bring those pouch baby foods, so I can just let them **** the baby food out of the pouch. But, not always...it just depends on how the day is going.