Self-Feeding Toddlers And Non-Toddler-Friendly Foods?

[ninosqueridos]

Over the last month, I have transitioned my twin 20 month old dcb's to the table from their highchairs (came to me at 14 months VERY babied/spoon fed for everything). They are good with a spoon now, but most of their foods are still tough to self-feed. They are either clumpy so it falls right off the spoon before it reaches their mouth, or too liquidy/soupy. They can handle big chunks of fruit no problem....but their lunches are still food processed. It takes me about 20 minutes to clean up the area around them, not to mention changing their outfits!

Would you suggest the parent change the way they're preparing the food? For example, instead of processing chicken, carrots, potatoes, suggest they serve them in bite size pieces? Parents are food-picky about their kids so not sure how to approach them. Part of me thinks grin and bear it since they ARE providing food after all.

[Tracyesplace]

At 20 months they should be on table food. Cut up in small peices for saftey of course. I have a 9 month old and she hand feed her self table food, she no longer will eat baby food. Did the parents say why they are still processing their foods. I am sure they have teeth by now?

[laundrymom]

A 20 months their diet would be same as mine.

[ninosqueridos]

They have LOTS of teeth and can chew well. I think the parents still do it with the idea that they will eat more perhaps?! And they can throw in caulif. and broccoli that the boys may otherwise refuse. They still call them "babies" but I will suggest it. They probably view NOT spoon feeding as laziness on my part. They were SHOCKED when I took them out of the highchairs!

[Tracyesplace]

I would maybe say they can put veggies in to meat loaf, or a hot dish. I have kids that hate veggies, lil do they know that my minni chopper gets its work out....LOL! They don't even know I put all the veggies into their food. It is time consuming, but being lazy not at all. Many parents want their kids to stay babies for ever, hard to let that attachment go. All my 2 yr olds sit at the table to. I would ask them why they still do that to there food, then take the conversation from there. Good luck!

[daycarediva]

My two year olds all sit at the table, self feed, all food cut into smaller pieces and drink from regular cups. I have very little clean up unless there is a spill (or I make spaghetti!)

This is ridiculous, imho how some parents baby their children.

[ninosqueridos]

It is a little sad because they are capable of doing more. The same dcps comment about how nicely the 2yo's eat.......hellooooo.....they have been allowed to grow out of infancy!

[LK5kids]

I've always found that kids dump baby food as fast as they can. By 9/10 months!