Self feeding is an important development for children. Teaching children to self feeding may not be an easy thing. But feeding your child continuously until he grows up is not good either. This will only hinder its development.

Self feeding in children comes in phases, making it a long drawn out, but extremely rewarding, journey for you and your child. Although your child needs to reach toddlerhood to have the physical ability to self feed, it helps to start early. Here are the 4 must know things before you start letting your baby self feeding.

Content:

| Self feeding advantages

| How to encourage self feeding

| Best self feeding age

| My favorite self feeding spoon

Self feeding advantages

Some parents choose to continue feeding their children because they don't want their children to be messy or dirty while eating alone. In fact, this is a learning process that children must go through. Baby led weaning (BLW) is a method that allows babies to self feeding. Mama only needs to prepare food that has been processed according to the baby's ability to eat, then the baby can use his hands to take and feed the food. Letting children eat alone also teaches him many things. Self feeding have many advantages.

To prevent obesity

One of them is keeping children connected to their basic instincts (hunger) and listening to their own body cues (satiety). When a child is fed by another person, the child has the potential to eat more than they need, causing them to lose touch with their basic bodily instincts. In addition, it can also trigger stomach upset and can lead to eating problems later in life, such as obesity.

Helping children recognize the taste and texture of food

In applying the BLW method, food is served in a solid and larger form. This will allow your little one to recognize the texture because it is easy to grip. In addition, this method also introduces your little one to the various tastes, colors and aromas of the food he consumes.

Support children's motor development

Implementing the BLW method can support your little one's motor development, you know, Bun. This method can be a means for your little one to train eye and hand coordination, as well as chewing and grasping skills.

Make children enjoy the food they eat

Teaching your little one this method allows him to enjoy the food he is eating without the need to be forced to open his mouth. In addition, your little one can also be introduced to many types of food.

How to encourage self feeding

Don't help put food in their mouth

You could say BLW is a method for making your little one independent when eating. You should really try to step back and believe that your baby can put food well in his mouth. Don't help put food in his mouth and you don't have to worry if you think he doesn't eat much. At this stage, food is a way for your little one to experiment and learn. As extra nutrition, your child will get what he needs from his milk, whether formula milk or breast milk.

Try offering a variety of foods

After your baby learns to use a spoon (holding objects between fingers and thumbs a.k.a. pincer grasp), you can introduce berries and raisins, or peas. Don't overwhelm your baby with too much food, having in front of him two or three items at a time is sufficient.

Be patient

It is better if you don't rush when you want to let your children self feeding, because your child will choke on food if his age is not suitable, another reason is because he is not good at chewing food that is too solid. Wait until your baby is six months old and make sure he can sit up straight before starting self feeding. Be patient is the key.

Nothing comes easy with the baby. Every habit and every successful milestone is a result of someone’s effort. It could be you, your nanny, your spouse, the siblings or even strangers.

Best self feeding age

Learning to self feeding can generally begin at the age of 9 months, when children are able to grasp their own food. At this age, parents is allowed to give them finger foods or foods that are easy to grasp. Children will become interested in holding their own spoon, fork, or water bottle in both hands when they are 13–15 months old.

In my daughter case, I let her start hold when she was 7 months. The food does not always fill the spoon and she not always succeeds in putting it in her mouth. Not a little food will also fall on the floor or table.

Around 18-24 months of age, they will begin to be adept at putting their own food into his mouth less messy. However, your little one must always be supervised when learning to eat on their own. Because they are still learning, sometimes children may choke, cough, or vomit. Later when your little one enters the age of 24–36 months, they will be more adept at eating and enjoying their own food without the need for help from adults.

My favorite self feeding spoon

You might be wondering if you can just get away with using a regular old steel spoon to feed your baby. After all, if it’s good enough for you to eat with, shouldn’t it be fine for a baby?

Some old-school parents will shrug and say that you can feed a toddler just fine without buying yet another special tool. But most feeding authorities recommend using a shallow, plastic children’s spoon for feeding, since it’s easier for them to eat from and won’t hurt their delicate mouths.

Combined spoon and teether

Some spoons are made a little larger with a more chewy texture, for those teething kids who to bite down on as they eat. The teething element may encourage some kids to use the spoon.

Grabease stage 1 silicone spoon

The soft spoon is perfect for tiny mouths during the early stages of self-feeding, and the textured handle soothes little one's gums during teething. Kickstart BLW with Grabease stage 1 self-feeding silicone spoon.

Shaped ergonomic spoons

Little hands can be clumsy and a spoon is hard to hold. This style of spoon is usually chunkier and shaped to help toddlers get to grips with their fine motor skills.

Grabease stage 2 spoon and fork

Grabease patented fork and spoon sets were the first utensils designed with babies’ independence in mind, and they come highly recommended by Occupational Therapists. The ergonomic handle fits comfortably in babies' natural hand grasp, making the hand-to-mouth motion easier. This set will also help strengthen their fingers while encouraging proper pencil grasp development (this will come in handy later!).

BONUS! Yummy and healthy ice cream for your baby with Grabease

As a new parent, your instinct is to be protective. You worry about choking, so you might prefer to feed your child yourself. While every parent has a different perspective, let's discuss the incredible importance of allowing children to be in charge of their own feeding and learn how to listen to their bodies.

This approach, often called Baby-Led Weaning (BLW), can be messy. But this article will show you why you should empower your little one to self-feed—and why it is absolutely worth the mess.

Why is Self-Feeding Worth the Mess?

Learning to eat alone is a critical skill that should be encouraged early. When a child is able to grasp something, letting them explore food with their hands stimulates their development in profound ways.

Develops Fine Motor Skills: The act of learning to grab food and put it in their mouths strengthens the small muscles in their hands and fingers. This is the same dexterity they will later use for other positive activities like coloring, drawing, and writing. The more they practice, the stronger those muscles become.
Improves Hand-Eye Coordination: Self-feeding requires your baby to see their food, use their hands to pick it up, and guide it successfully to their mouth. This is a complex task that builds crucial coordination.
Encourages a Healthy Relationship with Food: Allowing a baby to control their own intake helps them learn to listen to their body's hunger and fullness cues. It gives them a sense of autonomy and can lead to them being more adventurous eaters in the long run.

When is a Good Age to Start Self-Feeding?

Once you introduce solid foods (around 6 months), your child will likely start showing signs of wanting to feed themselves. When your child is able to sit up unassisted and can successfully pick up food and get it into their mouth, it's the right time to begin the transition.

Self-feeding involves lots of feeling, squeezing, and dropping food. It might seem chaotic, but it’s one of the primary ways your child develops essential skills.

How to Start Your Baby's Self-Feeding Journey

Step 1: Start with Hands and Finger Foods

Baby-Led Weaning encourages letting your child explore food with all their senses. Start by offering soft, bite-sized pieces of food that are easy for your baby to pick up and mash between their gums. Think small pieces of soft fruit like banana or avocado, or soft-cooked vegetables like potatoes or pumpkin.

At this stage (around 6 months), finger foods are for exploration, not their main source of nutrition, so you should continue breastfeeding or formula feeding as usual. You'll find that once they become interested in the textures and tastes of food, the journey to self-feeding becomes much easier.

Step 2: Introducing the Right Kind of Utensils

There's no right or wrong time to introduce utensils, but it's the next logical step in their development. The key is to use utensils that are actually made for a baby's hands and abilities.

Traditional children's cutlery often looks like adult cutlery, just scaled down. The problem? A "child-size" spoon is often the same length as a 12-month-old's entire forearm! This forces them to hold it in an awkward fist grip, which doesn't help develop the fine motor skills they need.

What to Look for in a Starter Spoon and Fork:

Instead of focusing on a brand, focus on these revolutionary design features endorsed by Occupational Therapists:

A Short, Ergonomic Handle: This is the most important feature. A short, wide handle encourages a child's natural vertical grasp, allowing them to hold the utensil properly and bring it to their mouth much more easily.
A Choke-Protection Shield: Many of the best starter utensils have a built-in safety shield below the spoon or fork tines. This prevents your baby from accidentally gagging themselves, giving you invaluable peace of mind.
Proportional Sizing: The utensil should be sized for a baby's body, not just a smaller version of an adult's.

A Final Word on the Mess

Messy eating and playing with food are normal, healthy parts of your baby’s development. It's also normal for them to drop or throw food. If you react strongly, they might think it's an exciting new game. The best strategy is to ignore it. Calmly pick up the food without a fuss, or simply leave it on the floor until the meal is over so you only have one big clean-up.

“Needless to say, teaching children self-feeding is often a long and messy journey. Just let the food fly!!”

— The Real Nutritionist

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4 Must know about self feeding