When Is The Right Time To Let Our Toddler Self-Feed?
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Self-feeding is an important developmental milestone for both your toddler and you. However, each child is different, and will proceed at her own pace.
Part of the timing of your toddler’s ability to self-feed will have to do with his motor skill development. It takes time for a toddler to figure out how exactly to get the food onto the spoon and then to get the spoon into the mouth. In addition, they need to have a nice strong pincher grasp to be able to manipulate the spoon.
A second factor behind the timing of your toddler’s ability to self-feed is desire. She might be the type that wants to self-feed very early. Unfortunately, her motor skills may not be as ready as her desire is, and this will create many frustrating mealtimes. On the other hand, she might enjoy the comfort and ease that comes from being fed, and resist your efforts to teach her how to self-feed, preferring that you feed her
Some things that you can do to encourage your toddler to self-feed might include:
- Use less and less of the strained types of baby food. These types of baby food don’t push your toddler to use his chewing abilities and his swallowing abilities, and he needs practice if he’s going to feed himself.
- Offer her finger foods and things that she can hold in her palm. Long crackers work well, as do cut pieces of toast.
- When you spoon-feed your baby, give him an extra spoon to hold onto.
- Feed her foods that will stick to her spoon. Help her to get the foods onto the spoon so that she can self-feed.
- At play time, role-play a meal setting with your toddler. Sit him at the table, and have him make you some pretend lunch, and then both of you can eat it.
Toddlers will eventually learn to feed themselves. For some, this ability will come as early as the age of 10 months old. For others, it may take as long as 24 months before they have both the motor skills and the desire that are necessary to self-feed.
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