Central Coast Home & Lifestyle Winter 2021

F o c u s o n C h i l d r e n

Ways to make feeding toddlers easier T eaching toddlers to feed themselves is a necessary and rewarding experience but comes with many challenges along the way. When babies first start to feed themselves it’s advisable to start with only a few pieces of food at a time. Putting a bite- sized piece of soft fruit or cooked vegetable in front of your baby or in their fingers, giving each piece of food to the toddler one at a time. Encourage hand feeding, once he has begun successfully moving the food with his whole fist into his mouth, work on his pincer grasp. You can help encourage this by isolating one or two small pieces of food to allow him to try to use his thumb and forefinger to pick it up or take it from your grasp. The foods you give your baby to practice self-feeding should be soft and easily mashed. Here are some ideas for first finger foods to try: Small pieces of ripe, soft bananas, avocados, peaches or kiwi, soft cooked sweet potatoes, peas, or carrots, grated or soft cooked apples and pears, soft cooked whole grain pasta, cubes, strings, or small pieces of cheese; shreds or small diced pieces of cooked chicken, fish or turkey. Foods that pose a risk of choking should be avoided. eg. nuts, whole grapes, hot dogs, raw carrots, raisins, popcorn, and portions of food that are too large. Sit at the table: When possible, always ensure the toddler is sitting at their highchair or the table. Sitting upright is important to prevent choking but it also helps to feed the child in the same place so they can learn the association between food and eating. Focusing on the task at hand without Everyone at every age needs attention! Q uality over Quantity - It feels good when someone focuses his or her full attention on you. Being attentive also feels good to your infant or toddler (and older children). For children, getting attention is even more important than for adults. Children need attention in order to grow, develop self- esteem and a positive sense of identity, and to flourish and succeed. There’s even research showing that parental attentiveness has a connection to releasing children’s growth hormones. Of course, you want to give your child attention. Sometimes though, it seems they need lots and lots of attention and time, more than perhaps you feel you have. You don’t have to be there every minute of every day, but do consider when to give them attention, how much to give, and what kind of attention works best. Focus on positive behaviour. Positive attention can be words of praise or encouragement, closeness or pat on the back.

self-feeding with spoons and forks between 18-24 months, but that doesn’t mean you need to wait until then to start exposing him to utensils. Thicker foods like oatmeal or mashed sweet potatoes are good practice foods since they will more easily stick to the utensil. It will be messy for a while but just try to remember that the more practice he has, the more efficient he will become. Once your baby understands the concept of dipping the utensil into the food and bringing it to his mouth, consider giving him his own small bowl. Allow him to feed himself from his bowl while still feeding him from yours. Make kids excited for meal times: Cutting foods into shapes is a tried and tested technique to disguise food from fussy eaters. While it can help make meal times more appealing, it can be very time consuming. Having special plates, cutlery or glasses for your toddler helps make meal times special and something they will look forward to.

distractions helps the process too. It takes time for toddlers to learn themselves and it can be extremely frustrating when it doesn’t go to plan or when they even take a step backwards. Mess is unfortunately a part of the process but it can be reduced by using a silicone plate that sticks to the table or high chair so toddlers at least can’t throw or knock over their whole plate. Demonstrate: Children learn so much from observing. While toddlers are learning to eat it’s especially important to sit down for meals when possible and focus on eating together, even if it means the adults eat with their fingers to demonstrate the process. Minimise TV and technological devices while eating so there are less distractions and this gives kids the opportunity to watch how everyone else eats. After your baby masters self-feeding with his hands, the next step is offering utensils. Most children become very proficient with

Be attentive to your Child’s emotional needs by: • Smiling • Hugging, kissing or cuddling with them • Talking in a gentle and soothing voice (even if they are not talking yet) • Singing and reading to them • Holding their hand so they feel safe when you are out in the world

19 Home & Lifestyle Magazine | Winter 2021