If you’ve started feeding your baby solids, you’ve likely experienced this. You go to feed your baby only to realize that he or she has decided it’s time to gain a little independence. As they are trying to grab for the spoon you quickly start to pull it back, and a mini tug-of-war ensues. What are they thinking, you wonder? After all, he’s only a baby!
Then the crying starts, perhaps turning into wails and an all out temper tantrum. You begin questioning yourself. Am I being overprotective? Is my baby old enough to hold his or her own spoon? And finally, you give in. You hand over the spoon.
What happens afterward is anyone’s guess. If you’re lucky, and I mean really really lucky, the worst that will happen is you’ll have a messy baby that needs to be airlifted to the nearest bathtub immediately after the feeding is finished. But likely, it will be much worse! Likely, you’ll both need to be airlifted, along with any furniture in the near vicinity.
Babies think it’s fun to squish food. Why do you think there are countless pictures and posters of babies with spaghetti on their heads? Because most babies do it at one time or another. They think it’s fun. They don’t yet have the realization that smashed food on your body feels and looks gross! It’s liberating to hold a spoon, to be in control of what goes in your mouth. The truth is, the baby likely won’t use the spoon much of the time anyway during their first independent feeding, but will rather use it as an accessory, a third utensil after their fingers.
So the next time you’re thinking about giving your baby a spoon to hold for the first time, I suggest you come prepared. It has to happen sometime. It’s a necessary part of allowing your baby to grow. But remember, you’ll need a bib just as much as they do. And don’t forget to stand back – peas burn when they get in your eyes, and though mayonnaise may be good for the hair, it’s not very pretty in it. Hehehehhehe…enjoy.