Feeding in the Early Stages

1. When should my child start eating solid foods?

As your child passes the four-month-old marker, it is time for you to start watching for signs that he/she may be ready to try solid foods

If your baby is:

• Sitting up alone with support

• Has stable control over his/her head and neck

• Opening his/her mouth for food

• Swallowing pureed food entirely, as opposed to spitting it back out onto his/her chin

• Holding other objects up to his/her mouth

• Intentionally grasping small objects

• Moving pureed food from the front of his/her mouth to the back and swallowing

It is likely your child may be ready to introduce some new foods to his/her diet! Be sure to keep in mind that it is recommended for children to start eating solid foods by about six months old. It is important to check in with your pediatrician if you are unsure of when to begin this new feeding phase with your child. Keep in mind that this is only an average age for solid food feeding, so do not be discouraged if your child is not showing signs of developmental readiness by this point.

2. If my child is eating solid foods should they stop breastfeeding or bottle-feeding?

After a child reaches an age where he/she has displayed it is time to try solid foods, it can be tricky to navigate how a milk diet coincides with this new feeding schedule. While every mother and child is different in preference, it is recommended for a child to breastfeed or bottle-feed, until the child is at least 12 months old. Even during this time, it is best if you inquire with your pediatrician about potential supplements your child may need in his/her diet to promote overall wellness.

3. How do I know when my child is full after he/she is eating solid foods?

As you begin feeding your child solid foods, there are a few ways to know when he/she is no longer hungry during mealtime.

If your baby is:

• Pulling away from food

• Falling asleep

• Getting fidgety

• Shaking their head

• Will not open their mouth

• Flailing about

• Giving food back to you

Chances are, he/she is no longer hungry! Every child is different, but these are great indicators that your child may have had enough. If he/she appears to be hungry a short time after they had indicated being done with a meal, it’s perfectly fine to offer more food as they may have just needed a break.

4. How can I prevent my baby from getting allergic reactions?

There tend to be many questions surrounding potential allergies in babies. How will I know what my child is allergic to? How do I prevent a reaction in my child? The truth is, there is no guaranteed way to do so. However, one tip to help in reducing allergic reactions is to slowly introduce foods to your child. Give your child the same new foods for about three to five days at a time. This allows you to monitor any potential reaction, and ultimately withhold the foods that act as an allergen in your child’s body.

5. At what age should my child start feeding themselves?

When thinking about mealtime, it may seem easier and less messy to spoon-feed your child. However, it is a key piece of his/her personal and social development to eventually do so on their own. It also allows for the child to easily indicate when they are no longer hungry. On average, your child will begin to play with his/her food around eight to 12 months, use a spoon between 13-15 months and consistently use utensils around 18 months. Proceed into these milestones with patience, as your child will be navigating through mealtime etiquette for the first time.

6. How old does my child need to be to help me in the kitchen?

Cooking in the kitchen is no simple task, especially as a small child. However, there are several ways you can actively engage your child in the kitchen in order to teach them new life skills.

2-3 Years Old and Up
As a child first steps into the kitchen to help with cooking, his/her skills will be limited. That being said, this age group of children will likely enjoy tasks such as: squeezing citrus fruits, sprinkling seasonings, mixing/stirring foods and any tasks along the same lines.

4-5 Years Old and Up
By this age, there should be a sort of familiarity with the space and functions in the kitchen. Children will be a bit more capable of contributing and will likely begin doing tasks such as rolling dough, breaking eggs, grating cheese and many other similar tasks.

6-7 Years Old and Up
A child’s fine motor skills tend to be developed but at this point, kitchen responsibilities will increase even more. Tasks will likely become more focused and intricate, including jobs such as scooping avocado, measuring various ingredients, peeling vegetables and other duties coinciding with skill level.

8-9 Years Old and Up
This age group tends to be one of the final key “learning” stages of essential skills in the kitchen. Children at this age are getting closer to full independence in the kitchen. They will learn skills here that will equip them to be self-sufficient in the kitchen moving forward. Roles at this stage may include opening cans, cutting pizza, making kabobs or other skills alike.

10-12 Years Old and Up
At this point in a child’s life, he/she should be able to work in the kitchen individually. As your child moves into this phase of cooking, they may need supervision and maybe even some trial runs at first. This will help validate competency, and it will give you and your child confidence that he/she is ready to take on the kitchen independently.

Hopefully, these tips will help you and your family navigate mealtime during the early years. Just remember - each child is different, so be flexible and adapt with them!