Hi,
I have a 9 month old baby who is mixed spoon and finger food fed. He's very enthusiastic about food and eats quite a lot. For the spoons he puts his arms out in a "hands up" position and opens his mouth to cue the adults when to feed him. I've seen a couple of things saying to encourage him using his own spoon from now on (but mostly from utensil manufacturers so I'm not sure how much to believe them.) It's pretty messy as he picks the spoon up, maybe puts it into his mouth, then drops it on the floor and "hands up" ("mummy, feed me!"). However, he's pretty good at feeding himself finger food and is quite happy to do so, so he's clearly able to be independent when he wants.
So... what are your experiences?
I have a few specific questions:
Is this the right time or too early?
Should I just be patient and try it once each day?
How soon should I give up and feed him? (presently after 4 spoon drops.)
But most importantly, do you have any tips?