8 month old will only be spoon fed

[Moonshine160]

DS is 8 months old and is eating purées fine from a spoon. At 7 months we were still stuck on completely smooth purées but he will now accept textures and chew a little bit. He will only be spoon fed though, I put some finger food on his tray with each meal such as fingers of cucumber, toast, breadsticks with dip, slices of banana etc and he will pick them up and put them to his mouth sometimes, but whatever he bites gets spat out. Other times it gets played with or just thrown to the floor. Last night for example we had spag bol for tea, I put a little bit on his tray in front of him but he pretty much rubs his hand and face in it. So I blended it so it was a textured purée and he ate it fine from a spoon. I really want to get to the point where we are enjoying family meals together and encourage him to self feed. I eat with him and try to let him copy me but unless it’s mashed or puréed and given to him on a spoon by me or DH then he isn’t interested.
How can I encourage him to eat finger foods? Is he just not ready yet?

In the nicest possible way, he's 8 months! It's completely normal. Just keep giving him finger food too and eventually he will eat it. Family dinners where everyone feeds themselves easily are probably a few years away! You'll be helping him to some extent at 4 still even if it's just cutting up harder foods.

@shouldntBeButIAm thank you! I think that’s what I needed to hear. I know I shouldn’t compare but I feel like those around me who did BLW instead of purées like we did have made such progress with finger foods and I felt like maybe something more should be happening that what it was, but I think you’re right and I’m worrying about it far too soon!

You are welcome. I did BLW with my two sons, only 18 months apart.

The 2nd one got it almost immediately. The younger one ruined an entire carpet in the dining room from throwing all finger food he was ever offered onto it. He would also throw spoonfuls of food if we left a loaded one to hand!

They are now 6 and 5 and both very able to get into the not so secret snack draw alone and feed themselves! Although, both will kid us that they need help cutting up food given half the chance.

Let go of the idealistic 'family meal time' concept and accept that it's completely normal. If he's eating then at this point that is all you can ask for.