Starting solids with your little one? We’ve got some great tips for you! It was my favorite when my children were ready to eat real food for the first time. Lots of pictures were taken, lots of preparation to get the best first foods ready. But, little time is often spent on learning techniques that help to make feeding seamless and build oral motor skills.
We recommend a highchair that gives good support and has a foot rest. This allows for postural stability during the meal for safer eating and swallowing. Picture yourself seated with your feet swinging, not reaching a hard surface. If you were trying to eat something you’d never had before, it might be difficult!
A small spoon kept parallel to the highchair tray is key when giving your baby a bite of food. We do not want to bring the spoon in at an angle or force it in their mouth. Allow your baby to open his/her mouth and accept the spoon. By waiting for this “readiness” cue, your baby will feel safer and more comfortable, you’re putting them in charge of the areas they can be in charge of.
Next, while the spoon is in their mouth, wait for their top lip to come down and meet the spoon and clear the food off of the spoon. Once they are done, gently bring the spoon straight back out, being careful not to scrape the spoon on their lips or teeth. We want their lips to do the work to clear food off of the spoon, not us! We also don’t want to dump the bite into their mouth. This could be overload and potentially dangerous if they are not competent yet in handling a large bolus.
Follow these simple tips for happy, healthy eaters! Cheers to your baby’s first foods and many more happy, healthy meals to come!
