My baby wants to feed herself but isn't getting any in her mouth when I let her have the spoon. She eats cheerios and puffs well so I need to come up with some other good finger foods for her. I have tried cubed banana and avocado but they are both too slippery and she just chases then around the tray. Any other ideas?
By 11 months, she should be eating what you are eating, just in finger size portions. Give her a spoon.
if she's having trouble with the banana and avocado, try rolling them in dry infant oatmeal first, then its less slippery.
we give cooked and cooled frozen peas & diced carrot, zucchini, beans, elbow macaroni, rice, roast beef, lasagna, quartered meatballs, chicken, peaches, pears, chilli con carne, pea soup, diced potatoe and sweet potatoe, bread, eggs, cubed cheese. watermelon, honeydew, cantelope, and a number of stews and soups.
Everything is chopped to about cheerio size.
slippery foods get tossed in a little bit of infant oatmeal.
good luck to you and yours.
I used to hand the avocado and "nana" ;-) slices to them. That seemed to help...or I would sort of stack two banana slices together with one resting on the other & they were able to pick up the top slice. Oh and I would toast a slice of bread and tear it into little pieces...they were able to pick that up easily too. As for the yogurt or anything that was for lunch that required a fork or spoon I would always wind up just helping them. Otherwise they would have prob starved to death or it would have taken us 4 days to finish lunch :-)Hope that helps a little
And good luck!
Don't cube food (other than easily chokable like hotdogs), just cut it into finger-size pieces. They can grab those easily. I never had a problem with banana with my daughter because it was either in coins or in long slices.
You can do cheese toast, cooked baby carrots (whole or halved long-ways), peas, sweet potato slices, apple slices, etc.
Nearly anything... just make so she can grab it in a fist and still gnaw on it.
It is because, her "pincer grasp" and fine motor skills, are still developing.
She is only 11 months old.
All of this is "practice" and is normal.
That is why, she cannot feed herself accurately with a spoon or utensil yet, or grab foods well, yet.
I love this web site for ideas:
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyfingerfood.htm
Another great thing is those plastic bibs with a pocket in the front. It catches most of what she misses, so you can guage how much she really succeeded in getting into her mouth:o)
Good luck!
How about some veggies that she likes ? Green beans are always a perennial favorite. Macaroni and cheese is yummy for them too. Look at what you are feeding her and just make it a form that she can handle herself. I wouldnt start adding too many things too quickly, so if she has a reaction to something you won't have to do much sleuthing to figure out what it is that doesn't agree with her. Be prepared for some messes...it happens...but it is the only way she will learn to be independant at the dinner table.
My girls always loved raisins, crackers, pretzels, chunks of soft cheese. Since I am now a Grandma...it has been a while since I was setting finger food in front of a toddler...so use your own common sense about what she is ready to eat now.
if you roll the slippery stuff in a little wheat germ, they can pick it up and it will give them a healthy boost!
I did baby led weaning this time around with my third child which is totally bypassing pureed foods. My 8 month old is doing great with it. I just give her anything we are eating other than peanut butter and honey. Cut up anything into long thinner pieces-apples, chicken, waffles. Other things I just put into chunks like strawberries, avocados. You can do different shaped pasta and let her dip it in sauce. Any steamed veggies. Lasagna, enchiladas. If you want to do split pea soup or pureed butternut squash you can give breadsticks and let her dip.
Just keep offering and let her keep trying. She'll get it :)
