Refusing finger food

[wobblyknicks]

My one year old dd eats just about anything I give her and usually quite well (except the odd fad when she's teething and won't eat lumps) but she hasn't grasped the cocept of finger food or feeding herself - she just always wants me to do it. If I give her a spoon to feed herself or give her some finger food, she'll just play with it and eventually drop it on the floor, but it will almost never go in her mouth and if it does she just licks in for a second then carries on playing with it.

What should I do?

wk try getting her to mimic you. Give her some bits of cucumber, breadstick etc and you put one in your mouth, then put one in her hand and guide it to her mouth, repeat ad nauseum and she will soon get the hang of it.

Is there a food she partic. adores? Try it wit that. I don't remember dd being any good with a spoon at that age either

I'll try that cd, thanks. She loves apricot and I've tried giving her pieces of that but she just gives it the odd lick. I'll try the mimicking though

My dd is 15 months and still won't use a spoon except for the occasional mouthful. Then she just bashes it about and throws it on the floor. She is getting better at fingerfood though, but it's taken a lot of practice ans she won't eat a whole meal herself, I have to feed her a lot of it.

If I'm eating something and pick a bit off and put it infront of her so she can feed it to herself, she usually likes that.

Like CD said, find a food she loves. Dd loves avocado and will feed herself that all day!

Thanks CQ - glad she's normal in not wanting to feed herself - I'm a victim of being surrounded by 'perfect' mothers who's babies are now all feeding themselves, totally weaned off the bottle...potty trained, tying their own shoes, revising for A-levels etc etc

wk they are telling porkies

Ignore them, you know you only get the truth on mumsnet

I know - that's why I've gone off mother and baby groups and would rather spend the time on here!!!

My ds could use a fork very well and a spoon more-or-less by 12m, but didn't want to. My dd was desperate to feed herself by about 10m, but would fling the food and utensils around the kitchen (or into her hair) and has only just started to get the hang of the cutlery at 18m. So they're all very different individuals. Honestly, don't bother about it. Just keep feeding her and giving her the opportunity to hold and play with the food and to experiment. One day she'll surprise you!

Thanks prettycandles. One main problem is my mother is a fully paid up member of the perfect parenting group and keeps going on about how my sister and I both only used a cup at 6 months, fed ourselves earlier than dd etc etc. At least with her though, I can say "yes, and just LOOK how we turned out"!!!!

She's still v young wk, I wouldn't worry just now. And if your mum complains then let her take over the feeding from you.

lou - I'm not worried really, just irritated by the 'perfect' mob!! I would tell my mum to take over, but problem is she would, which isn't exactly what I want!!!

What perfect mob?

If its any consolation ds2 isnt v good at feeding himself with cutlery and he is 3y4m. I know he has cp, but his hands and arms arent really that affected, only if he isnt positioned properly. He is the messiest eater I have ever seen. Got up from my lie in this morning to find his hair stiff with weetabix.

The perfect parents who live round here, whose kids are always perfectly turned out (and I haven't bothered changing dd after she dribbled all down herself), who all wrote the book on milestones....etc etc

lol @ weetabix, saves on hair gel I suppose!!!

Bet they aren't behind the curtains though.

bloody bet they are!!! bet they own shares in gina ford too.