These last few months have been pure torture at mealtime with Monkey. From throwing food on the floor, spitting food out, to pushing any and all spoons/food away from his face (even if it is food that he LOVES). No amount of consequences would make it better. He would eat finger foods soso.....but he would eat like one or two bites and then he was done and wouldn't eat anything else. We could tell that he wanted to feed himself with a spoon but he just wasn't quite sure how to do it. We would give him a spoon but you would have to scoop the food for him and that was still "feeding him." Which obviously wasn't acceptable to him.
So this week we have done a crash course on feeding himself. I have only given him food that is easily eaten with a spoon or finger foods. I havn't helped him at all with eating all week and he has FINALLY learned how to feed himself......and since he is feeding himself all on his own we have not had ONE tantrum at a meal!! It is so nice at meal time to just be able to set his bowl down on his tray and let him do all of the work. But let me say this, man he sure does make a mess!!!! (lets see if people are actually reading this.....if you are go ahead and claim 2 extra entries into my giveaways-just say you read about Monkey wanting to feed himself) Especially with spaghetti. He will use the spoon for about half of his meal (until he accidentally turns the spoon around and tries to scoop with the handle) and then comes the hands.
I never thought that he would actually eat messy foods with his hands because he has never been one to stick his hands into food or really anything slimy/messy (besides dirt). We have tryed before just putting spaghetti on his tray and letting him go at it....he will stick his finger in and give us this look of utter shock that we actually want him to stick his hand in there and eat. Then at his first birthday party he wanted NOTHING to do with smashing his birthday cake....only because of the slimy icing on the cake. He would stick one finger in and give us the horrified look of terror.
BUT.....no more horified look of terror!!!!! WOOHOO!!! He is digging those cute little hands in his food and smashing it in his face!!! So for those of you that feeding time is an ordeal in and of itself. I promise it will end before you know it. They will eventually want to themselves so bad that they will actually dig in on their own. It is by far the cutest (and messiest) thing ever.
I'll have to get a pic at lunch....i keep forgetting to take one.
How cute! Definitely post a pic, those ones are the best!!
ReplyDeleteMy baby feeds herself too , for the most part. I usually start but after a few bites she wants to take the spoon and do it. She still doesn't quite do it right either because she lifts the spoon up so that it goes vertical and everything falls off before it gets to her mouth but between her hands and the few bits that do stay on the spoon she is doing pretty good ! She makes a big mess , and did the same thing with her cake on her birthday too !
ReplyDeleteI wanted a picture with her holding/biting a BIG piece of cake but she wouldn't do it!
I KNOW! He is so cute. I am so glad that he finally figured out how to do it, cause it was getting sad seeing him so frustrated (not to mention the rest of his family). I love the little Monkey Man!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so much like my daughter! She will rarely let me feed her anything anymore. She much prefers to feed herself, but she also doesn't like messy sticky food. As soon as she gets her fingers messy she'll hold out her hand for me to wipe it off.
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