After introducing babies to solid foods, parents will have another food-related challenge to overcome – making mealtimes fun and interesting. Most babies love exploring, including exploring their food. They’ll want to know what a particular food looks like, feels like, tastes like or even drops like! So be prepared for lots of sticky fingers and slimy faces. Here are some tips to make babies and toddlers excited about eating.
Get Baby Seated Properly
At first, the baby may need to be propped up on mum’s lap while being fed. But as soon as she can sit without support, a high chair will come in handy. Make sure it has a broad, stable base and comes with a rim around the edge of the tray to stop some food from falling on the floor and a restraining strap or bar to stop the baby from slipping down between the tray and the seat. Keep other children from climbing the high chair.
Allow Baby to Make a Mess
Be realistic. Parents can’t expect their baby to eat neatly. Her motor and chewing skills are not quite up to mark yet. In fact, she should be allowed to play with her food between bites as hands-on food fun helps promote her development. Parents who worry about the potential mess can line the floor with a dropcloth or an old bed sheet when feeding the baby.
Use Spoons and Fingers
Try to teach the baby to eat with a spoon. Let her hold her own spoon while feeding her with another spoon. As her motor skills improve, encourage her to dip the spoon in food and bring it to her mouth.
If she’s not too keen on the spoon, let her use her fingers. It’s fine if she tries to grasp her cereal with her fingers as long as they are clean. Alternatively, try offering her some finger foods in addition to her cereal meal.
Try Using Attractive Cutlery
A colorful, non-breakable plastic spoon is definitely more appealing to a baby than a plain-looking one. So use attractive, baby-friendly bowls, plates, spoons and cups to make mealtimes more interesting. An eye-catching tray with compartments is also popular with young children as most of them like to see each item of their food separately.
Serve Foods Creatively
Foods that look the same may be a bit boring. So present them in different ways. Try cutting out soft bread in various shapes and sizes or serve fresh fruits as juices or fruit balls. Novelty always works with young children.
Have Meals Outdoors Occasionally
A change of scenery may help too. Sometimes just eating on the balcony or having a mini picnic in the backyard can boost a child’s appetite! Naturally, eating will be even more fun if children can have their meals on the beach or at the park every now and then.
Keep Calm at all Times
Avoid power struggles. If the baby doesn’t seem to enjoy her food, don’t push and don’t force-feed her. Don’t expect her to be able to eat like older children as eating takes time and practice for babies. Keep trying again and again.
Getting babies and toddlers to eat is a sticky business, quite literally, and can be quite frustrating for parents if the children refuse to eat properly. However, by making mealtimes fun – getting the child to sit properly in a high chair, letting her explore and make a mess, using colorful cutlery, serving foods creatively, sometimes having meals outside the house and knowing when to stop feeding – children will gradually learn to appreciate food.
Found this article useful? Read also Dealing with Little Fussy Eaters and Healthy Food Choices Improve Kids' Behavior.
References:
Lynn Alexander and Yeong Boon Yee. Feed your Child Right. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2007
Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby’s First Year. New York: William Morrow, 1994
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