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Self-Feeding Skills in Toddlers: Teaching Your Toddler How to Feed Himself
Team AckoDec 5, 2024
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Instilling self-feeding skills in your toddler is very important, and requires input from your end to develop their feeding skills. The capacity to place objects into their mouth is the first sign that your toddler is prepared to feed themselves. Pay attention to your toddler’s desire to self-feed with fingers since it is the first way that toddlers learn to feed themselves.
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One of the initial signs of self-feeding you witness in the toddler development phase is when your child starts to sit with stability in their high chair, puts objects into their mouth, and begins some chewing motions. Additionally, they may show interest in holding a spoon or picking up food with their fingers. These milestones indicate growing independence and motor skill development during the toddler development phase.
Why are Self-Feeding Skills for Your Toddler Important?
Encouraging self-feeding skills at every meal right from the start is important because.
Toddlers learn to grasp
Finger feeding is an essential practice for finger coordination with very small objects. Remember, it is only through finger feeding that the pincer grasp (the ability to grab small items with thumb and forefinger) emerges. Finger feeding improves hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Encouraging this activity during toddler development supports fine motor skills, fosters independence, and prepares them for self-feeding.
Toddler develops hand-eye coordination skills
Your toddler hones their hand-eye coordination skills by practising tasks like piercing a soft carrot cube with a fork, scooping porridge in a spoon, and putting it in their mouth. They feel a sense of accomplishment as their fingers, body, and mouth work together in harmony to satisfy their hunger.
Toddler fine-tunes the sensory processing skills
Feeding themselves stimulates all their five senses and provides a wonderful learning experience. They will rejoice in the taste and smell of the food as they put the food into their mouth, chew, and swallow it. When they touch the food, they will feel the texture and the temperature on their fingers. The bright colours of the food will be a visual treat for your toddler. They will be captivated by the sounds of the spoons and forks on the dish and the plate.
Toddler develops the kinesthetic senses
Kinesthetic senses are part of the toddler development process, which takes effect through active exploration and coordination. It is this sense that enables your toddler to learn where their mouth is and gain muscle memory for the arm movements to bring food in the spoon or their fingers to the mouth. This awareness of the body and its movement helps the baby’s physical and cognitive growth simultaneously.
Toddler learns to use their mouth
The jaw stability encourages neck control for the head to tilt appropriately to sip and the usage of both hands (bilateral coordination) to hold the utensils. Celebrate their progress and encourage them as they drink from open cups and straws, which helps develop oral motor skills, in contrast to using sippy cups.
Toddler earns independence
Independence is an important aspect of early childhood. By permitting your toddler to be an active participant in mealtimes, you assist in getting rid of or minimising potential mealtime behaviours and power struggles which include throwing food. Learning to stop eating when you are full is a lifelong skill for health and wellness. This skill will empower them to determine how much food they should eat.
How to Teach Self-Feeding to your Toddler?
There are mainly three ways to teach self-feeding to your toddler:
Finger feed
Eat with a spoon
Use a cup to drink
Each of these self-feeding habits is developed by the child as an independent skill, which is achieved at different ages during their growth and development. Let us look at these three self-feeding techniques in detail:
Finger Feed: One of the important skills that can enhance fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination involves finger feeding. As they pick up small pieces of food, your toddler can show dexterity, pincer grasp, and tactile exploration. This skill usually develops between 7 to 9 months and fosters early independence in eating while still allowing them to explore different food textures and shapes.
Eat with a Spoon: Training to use a spoon builds fine motor control and eye-hand coordination while teaching a child to feed themselves. Most children achieve this skill between the ages of 12 and 18 months as they become accustomed to scooping food and bringing it to their mouth. Praise and wait patiently throughout this phase so they build their confidence and accuracy.
Use a Cup to Drink:A cup for drinking should be a starting point in the progression of developing oral motor functions, jaw stability, and coordination for both sides. From 12 to 24 months, bottle/sippy cup feeding progresses to open cups and straws to "suck and sip," increasing the chances of proper swallowing and drinking control. This also encourages independence and self-sufficiency.
How to Teach Your Toddler to Use Their Fingers to Self-Feed
Around eight months of age, your toddler will start to feed themselves with their fingers. There are three techniques to offer finger foods. You can try any of these and follow:
Make it a ritual to wash your toddler’s hands before every meal
You can hold the piece of food and encourage your toddler to grasp it from your fingers. This manner often brings out a pincer grasp, which is crucial for effective self-feeding, before they use this fine motor skill to take food from a flat surface.
You grasp a piece of food and let your toddler bring your fingers to their mouth.
Place a chunk or two on a plate in front of your toddler for self-attempts
How to Start a Foodie Fix for Your Toddler?
Follow these simple tips to help your toddler start their foodie fix.
Begin small
Starting with snacks is a smart way to get your toddler to aim their food at their mouth and not up to their nose. Cut small pieces of vegetables like cooked carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes and soft fruits like bananas, watermelons, breadsticks and raisins and offer them. This will provide some sort of ownership overfeeding themselves.
Gradually move on to proper meal times, such as cooked pasta, stewed vegetables, idlis, dosas, rotis and chapatis, and pieces of cheese. Offer them in small pieces on a plate and encourage them to pick the food up with a spoon.
Lead by example
Toddlers love learning by example. The best way to teach your toddler to feed themselves is to first feed yourself and show your toddler how it’s done. Eat your food with the spoon and let your toddler follow you.
Offer safe foods to eat
To begin with, offer foods that dissolve easily, such as mangoes, bananas, peaches, cubed tofu, and small bites of cheese. Give bite-sized pieces of foods that are easy to chew and swallow.
Mealtime with family
Mealtime is a great session to interact and help your toddler learn and be exposed to family members’ eating habits. First, demonstrate self-feeding and encourage them to do the same.
Make food time fun time
Offer soft foods in different shapes (cut them with different moulds) and foods of different colours, like cooked carrots, beans, and pumpkins. You can also play the game “Feed Me” by encouraging your toddler to feed you while you feed them.
Prepare for the mess
Get ready for the mess involved in your toddler’s self-feeding. Tie a bib around their neck, cover their thighs with a napkin and spread a sheet of old newspaper around their high chair. Keep some wipes handy to wipe their messy hands and mouth with water.
Things To Remember
Always be cautious to prevent choking when your toddler is learning to feed themselves.
Notice for the signs that your toddler is ready to use the spoon.
Around 15 months of age, your toddler starts to finger feed efficiently. You can see them grab the spoon from the table and use it.
Go for special baby spoons which are lighter, rounded at the top and plastic(BPA free)
Give one spoon to your toddler while you have one to feed them. Do not worry if your toddler uses the spoon to bang on the plate, or high chair and dribble the food around
Each child is unique and learns things at a different pace
Around seven months of age, your toddler will be ready to drink from a cup. Initially, this is a slow and messy process.
Helping Your Toddler Learn How To Use A Cup
Here are a few tips to enable you to teach your toddler to use a cup:
Show and guide your toddler to hold the cup
Give a non-breakable, small cup with a grip to hold
Let them explore and get a feel of the cup by playing with it
Fill the cup only half with water
Train them to drink from the cup by copying you
Praise in abundance for every right move your toddler makes.
Conclusion
Teaching your toddler self-feeding skills is a rewarding yet messy milestone that fosters independence, fine motor development, and sensory exploration. You can guide your child through this essential learning phase by starting with finger foods, progressing to using spoons, and transitioning to cups. Patience, encouragement, and preparation for messes are key. Every child learns at their own pace; therefore, it is important to celebrate small successes along the way. These foundational skills will set the stage for healthy eating habits and self-reliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here’s a list of FAQs about Self-Feeding Skills in Toddlers: Teaching Your Toddler How to Feed Himself
What age would a child achieve self-feeding?
Most infants start with self-feeding with hands around 9-12 months. They develop coordination when picking up food. At 18-24 months, they start with spoons or forks and develop more advanced fine motor skills.
Should toddlers be permitted to eat themselves?
Yes, giving toddlers the freedom to feed themselves enhances independence and fine motor skills. Although messy, this activity builds the child's confidence, encourages autonomy, and helps them in the years ahead when they learn to do everything on their own.
Should toddlers be left alone when self-feeding?
Children should never be left alone to feed themselves. Vigilant supervision promotes their safety, especially to prevent choking hazards and mishandling utensils, which they are just learning to use to feed themselves.
How can parents encourage self-feeding?
Parents can foster self-feeding by using appropriate finger foods and showing them how to use utensils. Appreciate their efforts, tolerate the messiness, and build a supportive, safe, and mess-friendly eating environment to make it easier.
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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.
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