Teaching children to eat independently is tricky. Moreover, if our child is basically a picky eater, it should be noted that at the stage of child development, there are phases that can be used to teach them to eat on their own. Therefore, parents must be more careful in paying attention to the growth and development of their little ones.
The right time to teach children to eat independently
Parents can start getting their children to eat on their own from the age of 9 months. This is the time when children enjoy holding objects on their own. In this phase, parents can give them finger foods or food that they can hold themselves.
Then at the age of 13-15 months, the child has started to be able to grip even stronger. So, at this age, children can be taught to hold eating utensils such as spoons or forks for babies. Because they are still in the early stages of learning, the way children eat may feel very messy; food falls from the fork or spoon, spilling from the container, and others. However, allowing children to explore is included in the child's learning stage in the future. So you really have to be patient.
Tips to teach children to eat alone
1. Cutlery
Provide your own cutlery that is not harmful to the child. Because, of course, the child will still be careless in holding objects. Then, give cute food utensils such as their favorite color or character, so children are interested in holding them. Providing other assistance tools, such as special chairs and dining tables for babies and others, is also possible.
2. Food menus
Provide a menu of foods that are easy to chew. In addition to taste, texture, shape, and color affect your little one's interest in reaching for food.
3. Meal portion size
The size of the food can be adjusted according to the child. Smaller pieces and one-time catches are better because there won't be a lot of food wasted. But for training, once in a while, it's okay to give children food that is more varied in size. But make the portion manageable!
4. Parental supervision
Keep watching and accompanying children when they learn to eat! The child is still in the stage of development. Movement is still irregular. Children may also want to know a lot during the learning process, and that is where our role as parents is to guide them.