There are numerous benefits to letting your baby self-feed but the mess is REAL. Here's one way to train your baby to eat independently---with a spoon.
Step 1. Stand behind your baby’s high chair with 2 or 3 baby spoons.
Step 2. Preload one spoon and rest it on the edge of your baby’s bowl. (Younger babies will benefit from the spoon being handed to them vertically in the air.)
Step 3. As your baby is eating with the first spoon, preload the 2nd spoon and rest it on the bowl. If needed, catch the first spoon as your baby lets go of it and guide their hand to the bowl. Repeat with the first spoon and so on...
How to do baby-led weaning with spoons.
If you do this consistently for a couple of weeks, baby’s muscle memory should form to bring the spoon back to the bowl (as opposed to shooting out to the side to drop the spoon) but manage your expectations: consistent, independent spoon use won't likely happen until closer to 18-24 months of age.
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