Ladies - I'm a first time momma here, with a question about feeding. Our little boy is at the 6 month mark. He's been having solids for a month and a half now and is a voracious eater. He grabs at the bowl, at our hands at the spoon and pulls his mouth towards the food.
I've been putting a spoon in his hands while feeding. He'll move it towards his mouth, but often after smearing peas or whatever everywhere. I think this is darling.
In seriousness though, when do they start using a spoon in earnest? when does one introduce so called "finger foods?"
We've been giving him raw carrot to gum for his teething, and thick slices of apple (supervised) again for teething. Real food in his mouth, with the hopes he might eat it, is something else altogether.
Any tips?
My 11 month DD has been self-feeding with her fingers since about 7 months or so.... She can *kind of* use a spoon, but I have to help her with it.
Between age 1 and 1 1/2 years old my daughter became a self feeder. My daughter did not eat any table food till she was a year old, she has sensory issues with food (still does to the day) as well as a a sensitive stomach to certian foods.
At about 6 mos old I start my daycare kids on simple finger foods. I ahve found this crew (currently an almost 9 and 10 month olds) do not like or do cheerios..but LOVE LOVE Rice Chex cereal, so while I prep baby foods/mushy stuffs...I give them a few of these to work on and have for a long time. They need to start working on that eye hand coordination..getting the food INTO the mouth! I start offereing simple bits of what the older kids are having and watch them close and wait for reactions as well. Cooked carrots and tiny pieces of green beans (carrots are always a first tho..soft, colorful, and a familiar taste--no sauce or seasoning on them )..little bits of soft otast or a plain soft waffle...things like that. I look for opportunity for bits of something in what I feed the others. Now at 9/10 months they are eating more and more table foods each week.
Good luck!
I don't think most kids self feed with silverware til 1 - 1 1/2 years. Certainly mine weren't doing it at 6 months old. I don't remember about my oldest, my youngest self fed finger foods around 9 months old.
