How is feeding going?
What do you like about feeding?
What don’t you like?
Is there anything you would like to be different?
What and how are you feeding your child?
After your child learns to eat easy-to-chew and easy-to-swallow food, she is ready to eat at family meals. Put her in a high chair or booster seat, lay something on the floor to catch spills, and serve her the parts of the meal she can eat. Let her feed herself with her fingers while you enjoy your own meal.
Here is what to do—and not do—when you feed your almost-toddler:
Time snacks and nipple feedings so she can be hungry but not starved at mealtimes. Have sit-down meals.
Don’t let her eat or drink all day long. Don’t let her carry around a bottle.
Serve her foods she can eat. Eat with her. Enjoy your own meal.
Don’t feed her. Don’t pile and arrange her food. Don’t go off and leave her while she eats.
Start with about a tablespoon of each food. Give her more if she wants.
Don’t give her a lot or not enough. Don’t make her eat one food before she can have another.
Let her eat her way—much or little, fast or slowly, fingers or spoon.
Don’t hurry her up or slow her down. Don’t make her eat more. Don’t feed her.
Be good company. Talk and answer. Be easy-going while you feed.
Don’t talk a lot. Don’t be pushy. Don’t ignore her. Don’t watch TV. Don’t leave.
Give lots of chances to try new food and learn to like it.
Don’t stop offering food she doesn’t eat right away.
