When do babies spoon feed themselves

Choking is life threatening and requires immediate attention. Learn more: Preventing Choking in Infants and Toddlers. Teaching your baby to feed themself will be messy. Invest in a few good bibs or apron type smocks that can better catch the food. Consider placing an old towel underneath the highchair if you are concerned with food falling on the floor.

Keep a damp washcloth or paper towel by your side to help with spills. Babies learn from you! If your baby is eating meals with the rest of the family, they will observe how everyone else is using their utensils to feed themselves, eating healthy foods, as well as other appropriate mealtime behaviors. Read more: Family meals: Healthy Eating Patterns.

Learning to self-feed takes time. Allow plenty of time for meals and never rush your baby to finish. Your little one is eating at the pace they are most comfortable with, allowing them to boost their learning. We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond. Chat Now! Read more about the experts that help write our content!

Introducing Solids: Signs of Readiness. Learning to Love Healthy Foods. Introducing Solids: Baby Led Weaning. Developmental milestones and self-feeding behaviors in infants and toddlers. J Am Diet Assoc. Minus Related Pages. Fingers Did You Know? Use a spoon to feed cereal or other foods. Did You Know? Your child will learn new skills as they grow.

Top of Page. To receive email updates about this topic, enter your email address. Email Address. Ideal foods for a spoon include:. When your child is about 18 months old and has been using a spoon for a few months, you can start introducing more fun and challenging foods like soups with longer noodles.

Once your child has gotten used to a spoon, try introducing a fork. Demonstrate the poking action of the fork and hand it back to your child to encourage them to do the same. If you make the process fun, your toddler will eventually get the hang of it—even if it takes a while. Some foods to try with a fork include:. Always make sure the foods are soft enough to prevent choking, but still firm enough that they won't slide off the fork tines. When a child first starts using utensils, expect mealtimes to take longer and the process to be messier.

You can make clean-up easier by laying a towel or sheet under the high chair. When feeding time is over, it can easily be tossed in the washer along with any clothes. Dress your toddler in clothes that can easily be tugged off and tossed into the laundry.

If the temperature allows, it's sometimes easier to let your child be in a diaper and bib. To minimize fuss, stick to a predictable eating routine that your child can become accustomed to. Toddlers typically thrive on a schedule and do well when they are given fewer rather than more choices to make. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fingers, spoons, forks, and cups. Updated May 7, Almeida S, Raposo A, et al. April Egg, whole, cooked, scrambled.

American Academy of Pediatrics. First, children are learning to eat independently, which is a skill they need to develop for the later years of early childhood — and for life. Second, this stage involves lots of feeling, squeezing and dropping food. Third, this is a chance to help your child learn more about the taste, texture, smell and temperature of food.

Once you introduce solid food , your child might show signs of wanting to feed himself. For example, he might start reaching out for the spoon or trying to take food off your plate.