If I had a dime for each time somebody requested me whether or not I used to be spoon-feeding or “going the baby-led weaning route,” I’d most likely have… ten bucks (hah!). (Anybody else?) My response was at all times the identical, although: sure.
That’s as a result of in actuality, there’s no must strictly adhere to 1 method or the opposite — and most dad and mom don’t. Child-led weaning has some great benefits (fine-motor abilities observe, for instance) — however so does good old style spoon-feeding! And as we’ll see, the correct utensils can actually make a distinction… (scroll to backside for an unique low cost!)
Sure, there are such a lot of advantages that come together with utilizing utensils while you’re beginning solids, and most of them stem from this single overarching reality:
With spoon-feeding, infants can get a style of extra meals and flavors, earlier.
The larger range of flavors and textures infants expertise, the higher. It not solely helps set up “making an attempt new issues” as a enjoyable and regular behavior (it will come in useful down the street, in the course of the toddler years, belief me), but additionally may also help domesticate a curious palate. Many younger kids set up their style preferences — what and the way they get pleasure from consuming — within the first few years of life, sothe extra we dad and mom can acclimate our infants to wholesome meals, a broad vary of tastes and textures, and novel dishes, the extra possible they’re to get pleasure from those self same meals, flavors, and experiences as they develop up.
For the reason that finger meals menu is considerably restricted for infants, infants who solely self-feed with their arms could also be lacking out on the possibility to strive quite a few flavors and textures. It’s not really easy (learn: it’s not secure) to feed a child kale, for instance, as a finger meals, or black beans and corn. Earlier than a sure age, some issues simply must be pureed. Spoon-feeding — together with spoon-feeding together with baby-led weaning — is a incredible method to introduce infants to the entire vast culinary world earlier on.
Not solely that, however the menu range that comes together with spoon-feeding purees and mashes/blends may also assist buoy wholesome intestine microbiome growth and meet dietary wants (iron is a highly-cited level of potential concern for infants that use BLW, and toddler cereals/oatmeals are iron-fortified).
The lengthy and wanting it’s this: infants can style and expertise extra meals when spoons are concerned.
To not point out, studying to self-feed with a spoon is a life ability! Soup, yogurt, cereal anybody? It’s yet one more method to enhance motor growth and hand eye coordination. In truth, there is no such thing as a cause why spoon-feeding can not even be baby-led.
With Cutie Tensils, your child can feed herself! We particularly developed our Cutie Tensils to be straightforward for folks and infants alike — they’re good for conventional spoon-feeding and for making the transition to self-feeding. The soft-textured silicone design is light on the gums and straightforward for little fingers to seize, and the cupped spoon and round fork make it straightforward for infants to make use of utensils on their very own, earlier.
If there are advantages to combining spoon-feeding with self-feeding, Cutie Tensils maximize the benefits of each, permitting infants larger exploration of extra meals, each with their dad and mom and all on their very own — it’s actually the perfect of each worlds!
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