One of the basic skills of a toddler is the ability to eat and drink independently. The first tool that a child begins to use is a spoon. And the speed with which he learns to handle this subject directly depends on the parents. The longer they feel sorry for and take care of the baby, the more difficult it will be for him to be given these seemingly simple skills.
On the contrary, children whose parents do not interfere with their desire for self-development very quickly learn new things. It is necessary to treat the learning process with patience, take into account that the time for feeding will now take more, that while eating, the baby will get dirty and smear everything around. But this should by no means become a reason to abandon self-feeding and return to spoon-feeding.
When to start?
In books on child psychology, the optimal age for starting education is 7-8 months. At this age, the child already sits well in the highchair and eats bread, cookies or crackers himself. This is considered the first manifestation of independence. Gradually, the child begins to take food from the plate with his hands. Moreover, it is strictly forbidden to scold him for this. Thus, he kind of trains himself to eat. Make sure he picks up and holds things firmly between his thumb and forefinger. And as soon as you notice that your baby is good at it, feel free to give him a spoon.
Do it yourself
The child must be taught to eat in the kitchen from childhood. And to make the baby comfortable, it is recommended to use a special table for feeding. To prevent the child from getting dirty, he should wear an apron made of waterproof material or a bib. It is better to have several of these aprons, as they get dirty quickly and have to be washed frequently. There are special bibs with a folded edge to prevent food from dripping onto the baby's clothes. They are usually made of flexible plastic. In addition, they are easy to clean and dry quickly.
In addition, the baby should have a personal set of dishes: a mug, spoon and plate made of shatterproof material. For this, heat-resistant plastic is suitable, which will withstand repeated drops and remain intact.
It is desirable that the plate has sides and a suction cup; it will be difficult for a child to turn it over with it. Choose cookware with bright, interesting patterns. Plates with a hot water tank can be found commercially. This will keep food warm for longer.
A small mug (about 125 ml.) With handles on the sides is suitable for drinking, so that it is convenient for the baby to hold it.
Today, you can easily buy small spoons made especially for little ones. They have a comfortable rubberized handle that is easy to hold even for the most inexperienced baby.
As a rule, at the age of about two years, the baby needs to be taught to use the fork. Children's forks are made with rounded teeth so that the child does not injure himself. When using a fork, the mother should show the baby how to prick the food and how to use it carefully.
At 3 years old, you can add a non-sharp children's knife to the set of dishes, having previously shown what it is for.
Learning rules
It is necessary to adhere to several easy rules in order for your baby to successfully learn how to use cutlery.
To begin with, make sure that all adult family members are aware that the child is learning to eat on his own. This is done so that it does not happen that some teach the child, while others feed him from a spoon. If this happens, the baby will be lazy and capricious.
Training should be carried out daily so that the knowledge gained will be fixed in the child's memory. The exception is when your baby is in a bad mood or teething. In this case, you can give in and feed him. But as soon as the condition returns to normal, classes should be resumed.
Day after day, the child should see how the parents eat. So try to eat together. The kid will imitate you and strive to learn how to eat himself.
Feed your baby at the same time.
At the initial stages of training, cereals and mashed potatoes are best suited, which are easier to bring to the mouth without spilling.
And, of course, in order for your child to have a desire to learn how to eat on their own, prepare his favorite dishes.
Spoon road for dinner
To show the child how to use a spoon, the mother must take hers in her hand, scoop up the food for her and bring it to her mouth. In this case, the child should also put a spoon in the handle. By repeating this procedure several times, you will show how to eat. At first, the baby will squeeze the spoon with his whole fist, since his fine motor skills and coordination are still poorly developed. But at this stage, the main thing is to learn how to bring food to the mouth. If you see that your child is tired, feed him with a second spoon. If he finds it difficult to scoop food on his own, fill the spoon yourself. You can learn to eat by playing, for example, alternating mom's spoon and yours.
Drink from a cup
You can learn to drink from a cup from the age of 6 months. You can make it easier for your baby to switch from breastfeeding to a cup by using a sippy cup - a plastic cup with a special cap. Learning to use a cup should also be shown by your own example how it is done. The mother takes a cup in her hands and drinks in front of the child, after which she gently presses the cup to the child's lips, tilts it and gives him a couple of sips. At first, it is imperative to hold the mug and insure the baby by showing him the correct angle of inclination. To prevent the baby from choking, pour the liquid into the mug for 3-4 sips.
Behavior rules
It is necessary from early childhood to teach the baby to behave at the table, as befits and always wash his hands before eating. It is necessary to explain to the child why this is done and how important it is to maintain hygiene before and after meals.
You should refrain from feeding the baby outside the kitchen, and while eating, leave only dishes on the feeding table, removing all toys.
Also, do not allow the child to play with the dishes from which he eats. And, of course, do not scold the child for being sloppy. Better teach him how to use a napkin.
Finally, it is important to always praise the kid for his attempts to learn, even if not the most successful ones. So he will strive to please his parents even more.
