12mo trying to use a spoon

[ellesabe]

dd is happy to have snacks during the day but whenever we sit her down for a meal she has about 2 mouthfuls and then starts protesting.

All she wants to do is swish the spoon about in her food. I can see that she is trying to use her spoon properly but whenever she actually manages to get something onto it she just takes it off with her other hand and drops it onto the floor. How the heck am I supposed to get her to eat anything?

I know she's hungry as she would happily scoff 20 grapes if offered. I would usually be happy to go with the flow but she has lost weight since being weighed last month and I want her to have a balanced diet.

Any ideas??

Can you try letting her have her own spoon to play with/swish about in the food with whilst you are spoon feeding her?
My ds is also 12 mo but has no inclination to want to use cutlery. Though I did him the spoon loaded sith the last bit of yoghurt tonight and he actually managed to get it into his mouth. Up until now he either scoops the food off or turns the spoon upside down and is aghast when the spoon is empty upon reaching his mouth!

She might be ready to learn to use a spoon. DD was competent at feeding herself by 14 months having started a bit before she was 12 months. She did muck around at first but soon got the hang of it.

Ah yes, I have seen the 2-spoon trick suggested on here before. I'm not convinced she will eat any of it still, but will give it a shot tomorrow.

Lol at your ds tipping the yoghurt out of his spoon :)

I'm off to clear up the bowl full of couscous that has been sprayed all over the room...

would suggest some finger food on a plate after the spoon feed? like soft bread fingers with soft cheese or marmite or the like on, fruit slices, anything you know they like really - crackers, cheese, cucumber, malt loaf, raisins... it will up the amount actually getting into their tummy! I always did/do a little platter of small finger food after their 'main' and before yoghurt, but then I don't do many snacks inbetween meals so he's usually hungry! my DS is 25m,was proficient with spoon quite early but still did stuff like turn spoon upside down/twirl it in food/put a spoonful on the table and swish it around/drop on floor to see patterns it made etc etc for quite a while even after he could very ably carry the spoon to his mouth - you need to let them make mess in order to learn... for mummy in the evening is prescribed after cleaning up the messes

Thanks for the tips. I do give finger food after the meal so that I know she's eaten something but I worry that she just ends up eating the same old things!

PS I'm in Brighton too :)

I second the two-spoon idea.
Also, things that she can hold and 'dip' are very popular around this age. For example, bits of fish fingers she can dip in sauce, or lightly cooked carrot dipped in sour cream or something.
The best advice I got about this age/stage is never to put too much effort into cooking something amazing for your baby. Chances are, a lot of it will end up on the floor and you'll just feel resentful. So keep your baby's food really simple and save yourself the hassle. Also trust that they will eat what they need to eat.

hiya from down the road then!! we're moving away shortly tho :( I know what you mean, but kids, I am learning, are pretty routine and don't need as much variety as adults, so as long as theres nutrition in 'the same old things' I'd be happy - plus, you'll find they still want those things and not that much else in a years time so get used to them!

I recommend weetabix. With a metal teaspoon and if I don't make it too sloopy my 13MO can pick it up on the spoon. It sticks to the spoon when she turns it upside down to put into her mouth, and as its quite cheap, so I don't mind most of it going on the floor.
Just clear it up quickly as it sets like cement.

I agree, weetabix made quite gloopy is an excellent spoon training tactic! (my DS at 25m still has a bowl every morning as well as toast so I am glad as its good for you and he's not a huge eater) It does indeed set like cement though, on the table, on his chin, the floor, sets solid as a rock....!

I don't know if it will help as your dd seems able to get things onto a spoon but we bought DD a bowl similar to http://www.amazon.co.uk/BabyBjorn-Plate-Spoon-Set-Pink/dp/B0012DC9AI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323186292&sr=8-1 as she wanted to use a spoon but couldn't get the stuff onto the spoon and then all the way to her mouth without it falling off. It made a big difference and she mastered it really quickly then lost interest in mucking about.

The other tip that helped was letting her feed me bits on the spoon then I used a second spoon to feed her - taking turns. It does mean that you end up wearing a fair amount of food and have to learn to just pretend to eat some of the more disgusting half chewed bits they offer you . It did encourage her to let me feed her a bit though.

oops - totally messed up that link! I meant this

I was about to suggest letting them play at feeding you too. It is a bit gross but helps with their co-ordination and they are more likely to eat what you offer them if you've just eaten what they offered. It becomes more of a game then.