As a baby, your child is entirely dependent on you as the parent to supply all of her nutritional needs. But as the months go by, she will want to take charge of the process more and more. This is great, because self-feeding is an important and necessary stage of a toddler’s development.
When your toddler learns to feed herself, she is learning that she can take care of her own needs. She is developing important skills, such as being able to pick up a piece of cereal and guiding it accurately into her mouth. She’s also starting to learn how to hold eating utensils such as spoons. These are key milestones that establish that your little one is developing normally and will eventually be able to care for herself as she continues to grow.
Keep in mind, however, that not all babies will develop at exactly the same pace. Some will be eager to try to do things on their own, while others will be perfectly happy to let you continue to do all the work. So how do you decide if your toddler is ready to self feed? Here are a few indications that should let you know it’s time to teach some new skills:
- Your toddler watches you eat and tries to take food from your plate
- She tries to pick up and hold a spoon in imitation of you
- She may let you know whether she is done eating or not by saying “all done” or “more”
- She expresses a liking for certain foods and shows her dislike of others
Encourage your toddler to self feed by giving her foods which are easy for little fingers to hold, such as a cracker. Give her a spoon to hold onto while you’re feeding her. Play funny games with your child, encouraging her to act as if she’s eating by herself.
Some kids begin to develop the skills to self feed as early as nine months of age. They use a pincer like grasp to pick up finger foods, and might even be ready to use a sippy cup or a straw for drinking instead of the bottle. Once your toddler learns that she can feed herself, she might decide she can do it herself from now on, and will let you know that. “Me do it” is a typical statement made by toddlers learning to self feed.
Be prepared for the mess that accompanies self feeding. You can help with cleanup by putting down a plastic tarp or shower curtain under the high chair. This catches the food that is bound to fall on the floor, and you can just pick up the plastic, shake it out and wipe it off.
Your toddler is going to be frustrated at times throughout the process of learning to self feed. She will occasionally have difficulty in getting the food in her mouth. When this happens, do what you can to help her. Let her keep trying to feed herself but be there to offer encouragement and praise of her big girl efforts.
