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1. Give him a wooden spoon or bowl. Kenya loves having his own spoon to put in his mouth or just clank around. Sometimes heโll put the food on his tray in the bowl. This is the perfect activity that prepares him for feeding himself and being part of the process.
2. When youโre preparing a recipe, make a little extra to cut up and put on his tray such as broccoli florets, tiny chicken cubes, baby carrot coins, etc..
3. Sometimes Iโll sing songs, do the itsy bitsy spider, make silly faces or other fun games when heโs losing his eating steam.
4. Stay focused! Baby is there to eat, so make sure meal time is always in the same place and go through a ritual. We always tell him that weโre going to put him in his high chair, we wash off his hands with a moist towel, show him his bib and put it around his neck, hand him the bowl and spoon and then start eating. This way he knows what to expect.
5. As I feed him, I tell him what weโre about to eat. He knows all the names of his favorite foods because I point to them and call them by name. When he hears โsweet potatoโ his mouth flies open!
6. I save avocado for last since thatโs always a winner and feed the foods that might be a struggle first when heโs really hungry and focused.
7. Stay off the telephone! Nothing pisses Kenya off faster then me talking on the phone. Wouldnโt you hate to be at dinner and someone was yammering on the phone while you ate?!
8. Eat the similar foods or together. Babies want to know what youโre eating. No matter what Iโm about to put in my mouth, Kenya wants to try it. This is also a great way to get him to try new food.
9. Water. When Kenya starts to get fidgety I offer him a sip of water out of a regular glass. I hold it and help him slurp it up. It makes him feel like a big boy that heโs doing something we do.
10. Sometimes babies need a time out. They might be antsy, tired or just not in the mood. When Kenya starts resisting he will โhold food hostage in his mouth,โ grunt as to say โno moreโ or just spit it out. These are definite signs that baby doesnโt want to eat or just needs a little break from the high chair.





Needing toddler recipes and activities.
Thank you for the tips. As Im preparing to start my second child on solids soon these tips will be useful. Your little your boy is so little here. Cute. ๐