When should I let my baby grab the spoon and practice "feeding herself"?

Question

She 9 months old.
She eats finger foods, but when I spoon feed her, she tries to grab the spoon ... if I let her take it she'll just play with it, though...
When should I let her try to feed herself, and how can I teach her?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Make sure there's plenty of extra food in case a lot doesn't make it to her mouth. Give her a spoon, and have one of your own to actually feed her with. She can try it now, you can try to help her a few times, she'll get it eventually, and in the meantime you know she is getting enough, because you are still feeding her at the same time!

Answer 2

Let her play with the spoon. Do this when you aren't in a hurry. Start feeding her and when she tries to take the spoon, let her have it. Try to make sure the food is something kinda stiff or will stick on the spoon, like oatmeal, so it doesn't spill off the spoon before she gets it to her mouth. You can help guide her hand to get food on the spoon and then get it to her mouth. Let her play and get it all over herself. She'll have fun and figure it out. If she gets frustrated, then feed her, but the next time let her keep trying. It's messy, but that's okay. Learning can be messy. Have fun--good luck!

Answer 3

Babies are so much fun at 9 months. Congratulations. I used to let the baby have a spoon ( The baby will stick it in the food and throw the food everywhere so be ready) and i would feed them with the other one. That way the baby eats and also gets to learn slowly how to eat. Clean up is easy if you put a plastic covering under the high chair.

Answer 4

As soon as she shows interest.

Some moms may not want to deal w/ the mess, but I say "the earlier the better." Both of my children have learned to use utensils early and my 17 month old son has been handling a regular cup very well since around 11-12 months. The more practice they have, the easier it will be for them to develop the skills.

If you are somewhere the mess is really going to be a problem, you might want to give the baby a clean spoon to play w/ while you feed her.

Answer 5

She will learn to eat by playing with the spoon. She's learning how to control her hands and that is PERFECT practice! Bring an extra spoon to the table for her to play with while you feed her. She'll get it before you know it.

Answer 6

I would feed her first, that you can make sure she is getting enough to eat. Then let her play/try with the spoon at the end of the meal.

Answer 7

Children learn through play. when you had your child i am sure that you understood they could be messy at times. let her have the spoon and for a while she may just be messing around but she will make the connection before long.

never do for a child what a child can do for itself.

Answer 8

LOL! No, it relatively is not in basic terms your severe college. it relatively is the yank college device to a T. they might desire to cater to the backside denominator and are bending over backwards for the lazy or low IQ scholars to maintain their passing well-known the comparable. American colleges placed out a message that clever teenagers, accountable teenagers, and AP teenagers do no longer matter. they do no longer choose help, they do no longer choose nurturing, yet howdy, they might desire to be caught with all the different teenagers and left to income on the cost of the slowest man or woman of their lecture room, simply by fact u.s. is all approximately IQ equality! I agree that top college scholars could already be attentive to what you're conversing approximately, and have been they severe college scholars in Europe they may be attentive to that and extraordinarily a lot each little thing you learn in the 1st 2 years of faculty, as some distance simply by fact the final Ed standards bypass. u.s. relatively needs to talk a glance at the place they're failing their maximum sought after scholars and why and why they experience the might desire to maintain relatively everyone on the comparable %. as a replace of having smarter, swifter teenagers in a swifter-paced studying environment and people who're suffering in a slower-paced environment.

Answer 9

I would let her try it, do it with something like mashed potatoes, will stick to the spoon for her...Good Luck! The sooner she feeds herself, the better for you!

Answer 10

I give my son one spoon and me one spoon and it usually works out. But really you can let her try, what is the worst that happens? An even bigger mess?