I know handling messy eating kids is a tough job. Putting in that extra effort may seem daunting, but trust me, the rewards are beyond your wildest dreams!
I understand mom, that urge for ultimate control that comes with becoming a mother. It was me around 7yrs back.
Messy Eating, Happy Hearts
When I saw my daughter eating her meal by herself, surrounded by a chaotic mess, a sense of panic washed over me. In my state of worry, I reached out to a friend for guidance. To my surprise, she advised me to remain calm and allow my daughter to eat in her own unique way.
She suggested I clean up the mess afterwards, emphasizing the importance of not spoon-feeding her and letting her relish the self-feeding experience. Ever since I followed this advice, my daughter has eaten independently and eagerly tries to consume whatever is on her plate.
But hey, sometimes embracing chaos can teach us some valuable lessons, and I want to remind you to chill out on micromanaging your baby’s food and let them explore their senses. It’s beneficial for their development, especially regarding taste and food independence.
Related post: Homemade baby food recipes.
Why should you let kids mess with food?
Letting your little one freely explore and live their autonomous experience during daily activities like mealtime can help them develop attention skills motor skills, and learn to handle frustration more confidently in the future.
Trying to put food in their mouth, either with their hands or with a spoon, will cause your baby to develop soft motor skills that include coordination and focus, so don’t be afraid of the dirt.
Food connects the baby with its environment.
Babies are like little adventurers, eagerly soaking up the world around them as they grow. No wonder they want to imitate everything they see in their family! So, embrace their curiosity and let them embark on their journey of discovery. Not only will it satisfy their tiny taste buds, but it will also ignite their thirst for knowledge and exploration.
And guess what? You play a vital role in this culinary expedition! You must provide your little one with the right nourishing foods while creating an entertaining space encouraging their experiments.
Remember, it’s in our nature as humans to be driven by instincts, including the primal need to feed ourselves. So, don’t fret about a little mess along the way—let your tiny adventurer learn and embrace the joy of getting their hands a little dirty.
Reasons to let your little ones start with messy eating
Among many others, the primary reason to emphasise is enabling your baby to embrace their sense of autonomy and be fully present during mealtimes. Distractions like television or toys might seem convenient, but they hinder their ability to engage all their senses while eating, which is not beneficial for their development. By allowing them to be present and get messy, several advantages come into play:
1. Enhanced Tactile Experience:
Allowing your baby to touch and feel their food stimulates their sense of touch. This sensory input contributes to their overall sensory development and understanding of different textures.
2. Improved Appetite Regulation:
Being fully present during meals helps your baby develop a better sense of satiety and hunger. This increased awareness of their body’s signals improves appetite regulation and a healthier relationship with food.
3. Language Development:
Your baby can explore and describe different food textures, tastes, and sensations, contributing to language development.
4. Fostering Autonomy:
It empowers them to make choices, experiment with different flavours, and develop self-feeding skills.
5. Exposure to Variety:
This exposure encourages them to become more adventurous, willing to try new foods and expand their palate.
Baby Chair (buy here)
Learn to handle different foods
Consider your baby’s age and the type of supplemental feeding he or she is getting when choosing meals, emphasizing safe and manageable ones. Choose soft, readily graspable alternatives and offer them in tiny quantities.
Remember, no matter how big or small you dish it out on their plate, your little munchkin will gobble it up like a greedy dinosaur! So, be sure to exercise caution and serve up just the right portions for their tiny tummy.
Language development
Surprising as it may seem, the freedom to get messy while eating fuels your baby’s language development. Their autonomy in exploring food will inspire them to communicate and share their achievements with you.
Who knew that messy meals could pave the way to linguistic brilliance? It’s a journey worth embracing!
Boost their motor skills.
For your little one successfully put that spoon into their mouth, sit up straight in their chair, and become aware of their surroundings, they need to master their motor skills. Even the simple act of opening their mouth while bringing food towards it demands focus and coordination. It’s a remarkable journey of developing those dexterity superpowers.
Increases their defences
Boost your baby’s defences by prioritising foods rich in vitamin C, like broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, or citrus fruits. However, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider to determine which foods are most beneficial for your baby’s complementary feeding stage.
The connection between eating and the environment plays a key role in developing positive antibodies for your little one’s health. So, embrace the dining experience as a wholesome opportunity for their well-being!
Related post: Question for kids to get to know them better
Follow a recommended diet for your Little One
Let me assure you that this precious stage of your baby’s growth will be among the most beautiful moments of your life, but it will also demand your care, patience, and time.
Always remember that your little one will go through various developmental stages, each requiring a specific diet suitable for their age, and your paediatrician will guide you through this journey.
During this magical journey called motherhood, you’ll discover hidden depths within your cleaning skills. That’s right; you’ll tap into your inner cleaning guru and conquer messes like a pro!
And guess what?
There’s a secret weapon in your arsenal - the legendary wet wipes. These little superheroes will swoop in whenever chaos strikes, bringing order and granting you a much-needed dose of flexibility.
So get ready to embrace the beautiful parenthood mess with a wink and a wipe!
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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
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Wish this post reached me a lil earlier. I was so cautious about the mess that I never let my kid get messy and I definitely see how has it come tru after so many years.
The same goes for my firstborn. With the second one, I realised that it’s okay to let them get messy while eating.
I am a cleanliness freak and also being a doctor I was worried about my baby getting germs while feeding by himself, so it was really tough for me to see him trying to eat by himself, creating a mess. Thankfully I was aware that this will help him enjoy his meals better and also develop his fine motor skills and tactile sensations etc. This is a great article and you have with great care explained why messy is good when it comes to the little ones eating by themselves.
Lovely post Anjali… I totally totally agree with your thoughts. I for one stopped feeding my kids quite early n let them explore n eat unaided. I m so relieved that I did the right thing. I always knew it’s good to make them eat on their own but I didn’t know y. Your post was very informative n enlightening.
I am not a parnet, but I really like your friend’s advice. And I didn’t know that there were so many benefits of messy eating-they sure do learn more about motor skills and taste. And being linguistic is truly an extraodirnary fact ariisng out of this eating.
Absolutely bang on post. Babies should be allowed to eat on their own. How many positives you have listed out, isn’t it? We are going back to basics. Even adults are advised to eat with their fingers to connect with food.
Most moms these days don’t have the patience, love spoonfeeding and suffer from OCD..that’s why the immune systems are weak these days.
I absolutely agree. Let the child be when they are eating. We can clean up the mess later. I didn’t know there were so many benefits to it. This is something we naturally did.
Hey Anjali being a new mom I think is best suitable for me. I really get upset when I see my son creating mess all around with food as I love things being at place and neat and tidy. But Oh my god this little bundle is busy creating mess all around and If now you look at my sofa … all stains just because of him. But I will agree that observation power is too good of these young kiddos and they adapt things so fast . After reading your mind I started thinking in a different way and I thank you for that for changing my opinion about his messy habits. I will try to allow him having food on his own and let me see how he acts. This post is for me for sure and I think you read my mind and came up with this informative post. Thanks Buddy
quite a beautiful way of writing. Accepting the mess teaches patience though cleaning could be a task. It was truly enlightening to know these skills improve motor skills.