Naked Meal Time

Maybe 8 months is too soon? How good is your daughter with hand coordination?

I'm a first time Mom of 14 month b/g twins & allow the babies to feed themselves & play with their food once a day but not for every meal. I don't want to spend the whole day cleaning when there's other fun things we can be doing.

I figure they'll get the hang of it when they're older & have better hand coordination. My son is better with his toys than my daughter & is now testing me with throwing his food on the floor. He knows the word "no" very well & as soon as my eye contact is on my daughter BOMBS AWAY with his food! lol

Good luck & don't feel like you're the only one with a messy eater b/c YOU'RE NOT!

L. in Wood Dale

I agree with Laura, maybe it is a little too soon to let her feed herself. It sounds more like playtime than mealtime. If it's finger food I would place a small amount of food on her tray for her to grab and feed her the rest yourself. I would only place more food on her tray if she actually eats it instead of throwing it or smashing it. If it's food that requires a spoon, I would give her a spoon to keep her hands busy while I fed her. As far as stains, I would change her into her already stained clothes for feeding. Why ruin more clothes?

Wow! You sound like me, but I've learned to just deal with it. My son is now 16 months and he did the same thing. I would just take his shirt off before I fed him and leave the onesie on. After he ate I would take off the onesie, get it wet so the stains don't set. He still is a very sloppy eater, dumps food in his hair, throws it and smooshes it everywhere. His big thing is dumping his plate on his head when he's done. If all you're worried about is the floor, put a drop cloth or you can buy a big plastic feeding mat that covers the floor under the high chair. All of this is normal and it will pass and then they won't even touch their food sometimes.

R.

Married mother of a 6 yr. old and 16 month old angels!?

I'm sorry that your daughter is such a messy eater, but you are very funny with your description! For us, if the food we are offering is a "messy food," we do not hesitate to take off our toddler's shirt. I spend way too much time spot treating the laundry as it is. Good for you for letting your baby explore and get so messy. I'm completely serious about this.
Amy