Annabelle has been eating solids for a while now, but having such a strong independent streak, it was only a matter of time before she started demanding (yes, she makes it obvious) to feed herself.
It can be a little bit scary as a parent to step back and let your babies learn to feed themselves. “She’ll make a huge mess!” “She won’t be able to handle a utensil.” “She won’t eat enough!” These were all thoughts that ran through my head at first. However, babies are surprising capable if given the chance to practice.
Here are some tips that worked for us and can help babies learn to feed themselves:
Offer them food that sparks their curiosity. If a baby isn’t interested in a particular food, they’re not going to eat it whether it’s you or them doing the feeding. Babies love bold flavors, intriguing textures, and variety in their diet!
Annabelle loves Gerbers Lil’ Bits Recipes because unlike a lot of bland baby foods, they taste amazing (yes, I tried them!) There are 10 different recipes with fun and delicious combinations like Apply Blueberry and Sweet Potato Carrot & Apple Cinnamon. Over 80 taste tests were held to make sure that the final recipes were completely baby approved!
Make sure they have the right utensils. I thought there was no way that a baby could use a spoon to feed themselves, but I was quickly proven wrong! Sure, she makes a little bit of a mess, but Annabelle figured out within just a few minutes how to get food from the bowl to her mouth.
The Gerbers Lil’ Bits Recipes are easy for her to handle: purees mixed with real pieces of fruit and vegetables that are the perfect size to fit on her little spoon. The addition of chewable pieces helps babies make the transition from purees and liquids to solid food and practice using their new teeth.
Don’t be afraid for them to get messy! One of my main hesitations at first was that I didn’t want to end up with food all over Annabelle’s hair and clothes. I give Annabelle finger-foods for lunch and let her practice with the spoon at dinner (and immediately before bath time). That way it doesn’t matter if she makes a mess!
Be sure to visit My Gerber for more ideas for helping your little one learn to chew and my previous post about how to get your baby to LOVE to eat fruits and vegetables! Do you have any tips for teaching babies to feed themselves? Share them below!
Gerber 3rd Foods Lil Bits Recipes help babies learn to chew and ease the transition to table food.
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Gerber. The opinions and text are all mine.
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