5 Ways To Get A Small Child To Eat Themselves

When a child learns to eat independently, parents have more time for other chores, in addition to which this guarantees food peace for the whole family, when parents can also focus on their own meal instead of feeding the child. So how do you teach a small child to eat for themselves?

At the age of 12-15 months, motor skills are usually so developed that a child can hold a spoon and push it into his mouth. At this point, it is possible to get the child to take their first steps toward great change. At the age of two, the child can usually already practice using the fork. However, we recommend that you leave learning to use the knife to a later age, as even at this stage, its use can be dangerous.

5 ways to get a child to eat themselves

1. Provide finger food

The first step in getting a child to eat themselves is to provide him with foods that he can eat by hand. The most important thing is to cut the food into small enough pieces so that the child is not at risk of suffocation. Food should be easily broken down in the mouth and easily swallowed. Foods suitable for a small child include ripe fruits such as bananas, mangoes and peaches, cooked roots, and pasta and pieces of cheese.

As your fine motor skills develop, it is a good idea to give your child your own plastic spoon or fork, which he or she can start practicing.

2. Prepare your child’s favorite foods

If you find your child is having difficulty eating without help, you may want to try preparing his or her favorite food. Eating is certainly much easier and more fun on your own when a child gets food in front of them, which catches his or her attention.

In such a situation, the food ration may motivate the child enough to take the fork in his hand and start eating without the help of parents or other family members.

3. Eat with a child

The best way to get a child to learn is to let him or her monitor adult activities. This is why family meals are a great opportunity to get your child to learn to eat for themselves. In this way, the child can repeat and imitate the movements of others and at the same time enjoy comfortable company and time together.

In fact, many recommend sitting in front of a child and following him or her as the child learns to eat on their own. When you approach the situation positively, your child’s self-confidence develops and he or she learns to eat much faster as a result.

4. Bring the whole family

From a psychological perspective, in order for a child to learn to eat for themselves, he or she should see that eating is the kind of activity that older siblings and adults do themselves. You will find that this way your child will start eating quite quickly on their own.

All family members should be involved in this process. Likewise, no one should return to the initial situation where the child is fed by others.

5. Prepare for a big mess

In order to get the child to eat themselves, it is best to prepare for a big mess. It is very likely that the child will mess up both the Dining Table and himself. 

To avoid this, we recommend that you put a bib on your child that will reduce clutter. Sure, a child will still get stains on their clothes, but a bib or other shelter will make the cleaning job a little easier. 

In conclusion, we want to remind you that you often encourage your child along the way, strive to be patient, and praise him or her for every success.  We recommend creating a pleasant atmosphere around your meal moments by developing simple little routines for your child.