Spoon hater or just not ready?

[stopgap]

My DS is just over 5.5 months. This week he started to sit unassisted without using his hands. Coupled with the curiosity he showed at brunch last week (and just about every time I eat/drink something) I thought I'd have a go with some mashed avocado today, only he freaked when the spoon got close. I tried feeding him on my knee and in his Bumbo, but to no avail. I was extremely gentle and did not pressure as soon as he turned his head away.

So do I abandon ship on the spoon? Or wait until he's properly six months and have another go? He is a boob fiend, gaining weight well, and adores his two ounces of camomile tea (to help with reflux) before bed.

I would leave spoons in his toybox etc for him to play with and chew on first and then have another go. My DS was about 4 months old when I gave him spoons to play with so that he would get used to them. I used the soft ones and they became his favourite teethers! :)

Oh and also when we were eating I popped him in his highchair with a spoon so that he got used to that, but without any pressure to eat anything.

You could see if he'll take food without a spoon if you think he's ready to wean. DD is 23mo and spoons have featured very little in her mealtimes

Good idea re: increasing his comfort level with the spoons. He's so good about taking his infant probioticsopening his mouth like a baby birdand same with (gross, IMO) camomile tea/syringe for gripe water, that I thought he'd be equally receptive about a spoon. If he rejects it again, I guess the decision about BLW versus purees will be made for me :)

It doesn't have to be a decision - if he takes the food himself then that's great, but there's nothing to stop you then offering food on the spoon at the same time if that's what you'd feel more comfortable doing. He might be more receptive to the spoon if he has some he can feel himself. I suppose then it's whether there's any point you using a spoon if he does eat on his own!

I tried again, this time with banana pulverised to within an inch of its life. Again he freaked out and had a total meltdown when the banana touched his lips. Interestingly, he was fine playing with the spoon solo beforehand.

Any ideas? Similar experiences?

Did you try giving him a chunk (say half) of a banana as it is? Even if he doesn't eat it, he can feel it, smell it, perhaps lick it. To be fair, if someone tried to feed me mashed banana I'd refuse it (and I love bananas!)

If he doesn't eat anything at all yet, then it's nothing to worry about try something different next time - this weaning lark is as new and weird to him as it is to you!

And also with the banana, don't chop it just break it up or it is too slippery to grip! What about pear? That was a sure fire hit with my DS. Otherwise, I would just put some wee bits on his high chair and eat your meals with him sitting next to you, with no pressure to eat anything. He will feel your anxiety, so pretend not to watch him too much and just get on with your eating! Keep trying with the purees every couple of days though if you want. This will be the first of many anxieties about food. My DS is now 16 months and is going through a particularly fussy phase :)

It definitely sounds like he wants to be in control. My DD (6 months) won't let me feed her with a spoon but now has just about enough control to spoon stuff into her own mouth if I load it up for her. This is along side more classic BLW - i.e. she self feeds finger food for most meals but if she is getting really frustrated and seems starving I'll let her have stuff on a spoon.

My DS was a spoon refuser until this last week, when he realised that I can feed him faster than he an feed himself! We do mainly BLW but with the odd spoon fed soup/pasta/yogurt or fruit purée for pudding now (he's 30 weeks)