On Baby-Led Weaning

[thedoughnut]

I haven't posted much about introducing Ciaran to solids, other than asking for help on his solids-strike while teething, because it involves explaining the easy-yet-strange thing that is "Baby-Led Weaning

Comments

[daisybones]

This is so inutitively right to me:)
We started Molly on purees at 6 mos. mostly because the family was dying to feed her and had already started sneaking her bites of mushier foods. Now she's very interested in self-feeding so I give her cereal puffs and things and she likes that much better than the purees. I'm going to start making her some whole foods like steamed veggies & fruits & tofu chunks so I feel like her finger foods are better for her. Still no teeth, so I have to make soft mushier chunks:)

I'm so glad your posts lately seem to indicate that Ciaran is happier than he was as a newbie:) That must mean you are too! How's work going? Returning was hard for me, but I went back way too early emotionally out of necessity.

[littleowl]

Yep, that approach has always made sense to me and we've held off on offering foods to our kids until that first grab for stuff from our plates.

I've found that the timeframe for eating puree becomes very short when taking this approach - only a month or two if that as they get comfortable with solid foods very quickly once they start.

[boreality]

We took this approach too. The mushy stuff was very short lived and dang, its so much easier not having to shovel food into their face yourself and you can all just eat rather peacefully! Also, I think it creates a healthy attitude to food when have that control from a young age. I hate seeing people bribing food into their toddlers and still feeding them with a spoon. O is 14 months and already gets a bowl and spoon for cereal, yogurt, apple sauce, etc and is already becoming quite proficient at self spoon feeding :D Yay for independent feeders!