self feeding with a spoon!

[steph01]

Whats the easiest and best way to teach self feeding with a spoon? Any good tips?

Load the spoon. Pass the spoon to the child. Can be done from the day you start weaning.

The spoon-bowl-mouth move comes later (18 months I think) as babies don't have the physical ability to do the correct movement, something to do with ligaments or tendons or something.

You have one spoon for every meal that needs one. So does the baby.

For months, their spoon and food goes everywhere but their mouth. The spoon is dropped, smeared and bashed around. Then they tend to get the hang of it - in my experience anyway.

My DS always liked this technique as he was keen on being in control of his own eating (he also enjoyed baby-led weaning type meals where he controlled what he ate off a plate).

I stopped spoon-feeding him anything at a year old as he was so competent. Now he's two, he could actually spoon feed me and wipes up if I spill any of my dinner.

Oh and the main reason I liked the one-spoon-each idea was that DS learnt to use his spoon over time but I did actually get some food in him from my spoon too. And since he only had a 37 second tolerance for a high chair, shovelling the food in was often necessary.

only two spoons ruby! we actually needed three spoons - DD had one in each hand.
At 14mo we can get away with one because she is old enough to get that she must hand it back to have any more yoghurt (or whatever).

You're right YBR.

Ignore my earlier posts. You need a three spoon strategy.

Might as well have spoons four and five nearby for when the first three are on the floor too....