DD and finger food

[cheekypickle]

DD who is nearly 1 year has totally gone off jars/pouches/homecooked meals. She doesn't want to be spoon fed. She wants to be independent and feed herself with finger foods.

I'm really pleased that she's being independent but I'm nervous that shes not eating as much. Not that much seems to go in when she eats finger foods independently. Shes by no means underweight so there's no worries there

DH said I should stop making an 'issue' about it.

WWYD??

Let her eat what she wants and don't worry about it. There are two things in this world you cannot control or force children to do... eating and sleeping. Let her pick, she'll let you know if she's still hungry.

I would stop making an issue about it. She's 1!

How long were you planning to spoon feed her for?

Oh she's nearly 1, I missed the 'nearly'. I stand by my original point though!

I let my DS eat soley with finger food from 6 months, he was never spoon fed, and he was always a very healthy weight. Kids wont starve themselves.

How do children so young eat yoghurt or other sloppy food? With their fingers??

Any suggestions of finger foods that are good?

With a spoon squeakytoy

Let her go for it. My dd was weaned on a mix of puree/mushy food and finger foods as she got older she showed a preference for foods she could feed herself. Pasta is a particular favourite. It is amazing how quickly they increase the amount they eat.

My ds didnt eat yogurts until he mastered a spoon. There is no need for a baby to have them!

Food ideas - cooked pasta shapes, cooked carrots/broccolli, cheese, bananas, baked beans with most of the sauce drained off, raisins, broad beans well cooked, mashed potato (!) messy but fun!

This might help www.babyledweaning.com/some-tips-to-get-you-started/

I just gave my dcs whatever we were having. Some favourites at that age were:

Pasta with homemade sauce
Cheese toasties
Random veg (cucumber sticks, broccoli, corn on or off the cob)
Fruit
Soup
Baked potatoes with the centre fluffed up a bit so she could pick it up easily
Pizza
Fish

It will be messy so prepare yourself for that!

Toast fingers with soft cheese is a big hit with DS

Re yoghurt - add cereal like Cheerios. Makes it less likely to fall off the spoon!

Mine has yoghurt on fruit, still messy but he loves it

I was going to recommend looking at blw website/cookbook for ideas. At nearly 1, this is perfect progression in my experience! My DD was feeding herself with a spoon competently by 14 months, as were any of her peers. Let her be independent!

I just do not see what is so wrong with spoon feeding a baby. You know how much they have eaten, you know what they have eaten, and at least the food goes in their mouth, not all over the floor, their hair, the furniture, in their ears...

I really find it off putting to see a child with handfuls of sloppy food smearing it all over the place, throwing it around and making a huge mess while the indulgent parents grin at them.

I often wonder if the increase in people who only give "finger food" and allow children to pick and leave stuff is part of the reason why so many kids are so fussy, and so many have no idea how to use cutlery by the age of 3 or 4.

Moo ins- mine too. You can preload the spoon, cheekypickle, ANC hold it out to her to see if she takes it and puts it in her own mouth.

Many, not any... Stupid phone

Just feed her whatever you are having, if she is struggling to eat something then help her, or spoon feed her at the same time as her having her own spoon if you are worried.

from about 8 months DS pretty much ate what i was having with a mix of me feeding him and feeding himself.

Squeaky- really? On the contrary. My blw DD is great at using cutlery. I know kids the same age as her who took aaaaaages to be able to use cutlery as they just became used to someone doing it for them.

I agree completely with squeakytoy. When did it become not ok to teach children what they need to know in order to, you know, at some time in the future be halfway civilised and know that there is cutlery for a reason! I hate to see children smeared all over with food, half of which doesn't go into the mouth, just so their parents can indulge their little darlings free spirit! Just feed the child with a spoon ffs.

Btw I think fussiness happens no matter how a baby was weaned; some are fussy, some aren't! Some-like my DD- go through phases. She currently eats anything but has certainly had her moments.

Oh god. Blw! Hells bells.

My parents just gave me what they had minus the salt and sugar.

My parents didnt even take out the salt or sugar. I grew up fine, with no health problems or educational struggles, and at 43 I still have my own teeth, perfect eyesight, and am in good health.

Madge- it's not about indulging their free spirit. It's allowing them To develop skills and to see food as something lovely and fun rather than just a ritual of mush in mouth and repeat.