Teach children to eat independently with a spoon
There are many benefits to starting early to practice eating independently with a spoon. Regardless of whether you are primarily spoon feeding, pure BLW (Baby Led Weaning), or mixing. For example, there are foods with a loose texture that are easier to eat with a spoon.
You can let your baby start eating with a spoon on their own as early as 6 months old. I started a bit easy with my daughter at the time, but did not really get going until she was about 8 months old.
The trick is to train the baby's muscle memory and motor skills step by step. When one step works well, move on to the next.
This is often a long process (and it's no stress!) because most children do not learn to eat properly with a spoon until they are about 18 months old. And some prefer to still use their fingers at that age.
A good first step might be to sit the baby on your lap and give pre-loaded spoons, with the bowl in front of the baby. This way the baby does not see you (which reduces the pressure) and all attention is focused on the food.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should try to pause and let the baby reach for the spoon. This way the baby takes the initiative, which is always preferable. Also, do not take the spoon back too quickly, but let the baby suck on it for a bit, as this can encourage motor development.
A final tip is to use a relatively short spoon with a fairly wide handle at first. And start with foods that sticks easily to the spoon, such as a thick porridge. I recommend starting with our pre-spoon, as it is the perfect beginner spoon!
/Elin Oresten
Lic. nutritionist
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