Advice on giving them the spoon

[CheerfulSoul]

My 15 month-old DS likes to feed himself. We try to give him complete meals as finger foods but I know he needs to learn to feed himself with a spoon. At the moment, he grabs the spoon from us and puts it in his mouth but he has never reloaded it and we don't give him the bowl.

Maybe I've delayed because I'm afraid he will throw good food on the floor, and maybe I'm worried he won't eat enough food, but it will never happen if we don't try.

Does anyone have any advice or words of wisdom that might help me bite the bullet?

just do it!
he probably will make mess, but you can clean it up :-D

I'm sure he'll just up-end the bowl though.
Any tips and tricks for success?

My DS does quite well with a fork, can spear the food, easier than catching it with a spoon. I have only just started letting him have a plate as he used to tip it straight up but has been better for the last week or two. I was putting the food direct onto table before that (BLW)

Get a dog for the floor issue

Yep, just do it !

Porridge is ideal first self-feeding food: sticks to spoon, easy to reload, will put hair on his chest ... We make porridge with maple syrup, yum, and v popular with all 3 of my boys, although it is usually a weekend treat.

Have a melamine/plastic bowl, we use normal tea spoons or you can get toddler spoons with a thicker handle for easier grasp, wipeproof table covering, wipeproof floor covering - and you are away!

It is great when they start feeding themselves. I get to eat my own breakfast whilst DS3 eats his Cheerios (well, most of them...)

he might up end the bowl but then he can eat it off the table

just go for it

True, DS3 likes a fork as well for spearing things.

actually yes, fork is fairly good.

and yes, he may up-end the bowl. but that's ok, you either scoop it all back, or he can just eat it off the table

My DD is 12 months and will not be spoon fed (weirdo baby). I give her the spoon but hold the bowl myself otherwise I'm pretty sure she would just up end it on the floor too! Maybe start with yoghurt or jelly or something else easily spoonable?

Pushme, DS1 was the opposite: would not touch any fingerfood at all. Still does not like anything wet or sticky .

Here is a tip: have a spoon for baby AND a seperate spoon for you to feed him with. So while he waves spoon around learns to negotiate food to mouth, you can get a sneaky spoonful in as well