varför ska du låta ditt barn kladda med maten?

Why should you let your child scribble?

Posted by Elin Oresten on

It allows the child to discover food with all their senses in a fantastic way. When they get the hang of it, they can get to know the food in their own way and at their own pace. Something we believe is important for the joy of eating.

Benefits of writing

  • Getting the food on your fingers can be a first step towards daring to taste. It helps them to start to familiarize themselves with food and normalize it. Children need to feel food to understand and get to know it. This can increase their interest in food and provide greater acceptance of new foods. The brain needs to prepare the mouth for what is coming, perhaps it is cold, hard, sticky, rough, etc.

  • They get lots of opportunities to train their motor skillsr that are necessary to be able to eat by themselves. Both gross and fine motor skills.

  • Food is something completely new for babies, They need to feel, smell, inspect, etc. to become familiar with this amazing phenomenon.

Därför är kladd bra
  • If you let your child mess around and explore, they are more likely to try and enjoy new foods. The general interest in food may increase!

  • And most importantly, children learn through play! So we need to let them “play” with their food to learn. Making the meal playful in some way can make it more interesting for the child. Play creates joy in eating! In our opinion, table manners can come later.

Can I dry it?

Try to refrain from wiping around the baby's mouth during meals. Partly because many children are sensitive around their mouths, so it is uncomfortable for them, but also because the child is allowed to lick around their mouths, which contributes to sensory and motor development.

Getting food on the cheek without an adult wiping it away immediately signals that food is not dangerous or bad.


Many people are worried that their children will not learn table manners if they are allowed to mess up.. This is how we think - as long as the children are small, the joy of eating comes first. Of course, you can set limits on messing, but let them mess up. They can learn table manners later!

The mess may not always be that fun for us adults who have to clean it up, but as you can see, it has an important purpose in the child's development. So it's not in vain.

Elin Oresten Knatteplock

/Elin Oresten

Lic. nutritionist and founder of Knatteplock.

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That's why I started Knatteplock

Benefits of eating the same food the whole family

Make picked food at home

Children love to imitate, by eating the same food it facilitates learning and makes mealtime a positive experience of togetherness. As a parent you don't have to feed but can sit next to and enjoy the food.

Picking food gives children the opportunity to explore a variety of textures and consistencies at their own pace. This can lead to a healthier relationship with food and a greater enjoyment of eating. By offering different textures and flavors, the child gets a broader taste palette, and there is a greater chance that the appetite will continue even during the naturally picky period that usually comes around two years. Research shows that children who are introduced to a more varied diet from the start eat more variety and more vegetables later in life.

  • Promotes exploration and independence at mealtime.
  • Develops early chewing skills.
  • Simplifies family meals and strengthens community.

Why finger food ?

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Promotes exploration and independence at the meal
Develops early chewing abilities
Simplifies family meal time and strengthens the community

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Encourage the joy of eating by letting your child explore flavors and textures on their own. Start the food adventure today - we are here for you and your child through messes, discoveries and challenges.
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Common questions about picking food

Finger food is a way of offering food where the baby/child eats themselves either with their hands or with a spoon.

Finger foods give children the opportunity to explore a variety of textures and consistencies at their own pace, from an early age. This can lead to a healthier relationship with food and greater enjoyment of eating.

Make sure your baby shows signs of being ready for solid foods. She should be able to sit up in a chair on her own, be able to bring objects to her mouth on her own, and show an interest in food. Maybe your baby is reaching for your food or looking at your plate with fascination, then there is probably interest!

Consider offering foods that are fairly soft but easy to grasp. For example, sweet potato sticks, slices of liver pâté, cooked broccoli or omelette/pancake strips. Sandwiches with butter and/or liver pâté are also perfect for practicing motor skills. Slippery foods that are difficult to grasp can be rolled in seeds or sandwich crumbs. For example, avocado or banana. But in general, it is good to offer the baby what the rest of the family eats as often as possible.

Small babies don't have a pincer grip so it's big pieces that matter at first. The pieces should be longer than the palm of their hand because small babies (6 months) often can't open their palm on request. It may feel scary but it's actually safer with bigger pieces than smaller pieces when it's a small baby! If they take too big bites they spit it out again.

Read more here.

Many people worry about how their children will be able to chew finger foods without teeth. The good news is that it goes very well. Young children process food with their tongue, palate and toothless jaws.

Children only get molars when they are a little older (over 1 year old) and waiting to introduce solid foods until then can have negative consequences for the child's eating development.

Children don't learn to chew by eating puree, they learn to chew by practicing chewing different textures in their mouths.

Read more here.