How To Encourage Toddlers To Eat On Their Own. We Bring You Some Tips

During the toddler stage, a child is bursting with energy and is eager to learn. Therefore, it is the best time to teach your toddler basic self-help skills like eating on their own.

But remember, although your toddler may be very motivated to learn, they would get distracted or frustrated easily. So, you have to keep encouraging them to keep trying. Let's look at how you can encourage your toddler to begin eating on their own.

1. Allow them to select their favourite food: The first step towards encouraging your toddler to eat on their own is to make them develop an interest in eating. You can do this by allowing them to select from a range of food groups that you want them to eat like various fruits, vegetables or bread. You can also ask them about their favourite dish and prepare it for them once in a while. Once your toddler starts showing an interest in selecting the food that they want to eat, progress to the next level, where you should allow them to begin eating on their own.

2. Start with finger foods: The fine motor skills of toddlers are still developing, so they find it difficult to eat using a spoon. For this reason, start with food that is easy to pick up with fingers and soft enough to chew or munch on. For example, initially, place a single piece of soft fruit or vegetable on a tray and allow your child to eat it. Once they learn to pick up the single piece and eat it, increase the number of pieces on their plate. In the beginning, your toddler will use the pincer grasp to pick up their food, but with time, they will start using all their fingers. Learning to use their fingers to eat also helps in the development of fine motor skills, which will help them later in academics, like grasping a pencil to write.

3. Introduce the spoon: Once your child has mastered the art of eating with their fingers, introduce them to the spoon. While you are feeding your child with a spoon, give them a spoon to hold in their hands. Hold their hand, make them dip their spoon into the food and scoop up a small portion, and transfer it into their mouth. Do this a few times during every mealtime. After a few days, give them a small amount of food in a separate bowl, while you are still feeding them. Between each scoop that you feed them, allow them to eat from their own bowl. In the beginning, your child will not be able to transfer the food to their mouth. They may spill it and make a mess; but, keep reminding them that they should put the food in their mouth and not spill it. To prevent your child from spilling, you can give them thicker liquids or sticky foods. As your child becomes better at eating using a spoon, increase the quantity of food in their bowl. Over a period, your child will be eating on their own from their own bowl.

4. Eat next to your child: Children do what they see their parents doing. During mealtimes, eat sitting next to your child to make it possible for them to learn how to eat by imitating you. To motivate them to do better, praise them for the effort they are putting in and correct them when they get it wrong.

Speak to your child about different kinds of food, and how eating good food will make them grow up into a big and strong individual. Give them the freedom to eat using cutlery, but be around to guide them and ensure that they don't hurt themselves. Remember, the secret to making your toddler pick up the habit of eating by themselves is to keep their experience positive and enjoyable.