Ok.. Explain to me how this works.. finger/table food.

Liam is almost nine months and is really interested in real food.

I give him cheerios and broken up pancakes. Yesterday, I gave him a small bite of cheese. He is doing fine with it. ALso I made the meat purees a bit chunkier.

SOooo How does introducing finger/table food go? He can't feed himself with a spoon. SO do I just put the food on the tray and let him go to town?? That seems so messy. Do I just need to get over the mess?

He doesn't use a pincer grasp yet and still kind of shovels the food into his mouth. However, most of the food gets into his mouth. He is pretty good at it.

What foods did you try first? Did you still offer puree at that meal? For instance, if I give him pancakes today should I also give him the cereal and fruit? Or if I give him some elbow pasta and sauce for lunch should I still give him the pureed meat and veggies?

I don't know why this is sooo confusing for me!!!

ETA: One more.. If your DC was in day care, did you wait a while before sending these into daycare? I just can't see that they would appreciate me sending elbows and sauce in for him to eat with his hands But, then again.. maybe not.

Message edited 2/6/2010 9:10:23 AM.

Re: Ok.. Explain to me how this works.. finger/table food.

You pretty much are already introducing table food

His pinscher grip will get better the more he practices, puffs and stuff like that are good for that practice.

The spoon is later, like over 18 months, so if you want to feed him something with that, I'd still do it yourself.

As for good things to start with, just really anything you eat, just in smaller pieces.

Still do the purees, since he won't have it down yet, but let him practice

Re: Ok.. Explain to me how this works.. finger/table food.

I give Morgan her regular pureed dinner - veggie and a fruit and then when DH and I are eating dinner she is always moving her mouth like she wants some. So I give her managable foods we are having - mashed potatoes, shredded pieces of chicken, etc. I also put puffs on her tray and most of those end up on her sit, but she tries LOL!!!!

Re: Ok.. Explain to me how this works.. finger/table food.

Anyone else?

Re: Ok.. Explain to me how this works.. finger/table food.

Yup..you got it...put small portions down for him to eat...with his hands. It will be like that for a while and once he really has the coordination down you can certainly start to let him play with a small spoon then move to fork.


Unfortuantely it will be messy and it's something we all have to get over. Get the big bibs

I never did pureed meat...I did finely ground meats mixed in foods and once he was eating on his own I gave small pieces of chicken.

When he first started eating table foods I had some pureed foods left so I gave them to him but only until I finished what I had...you'll see that as he finds that he can independently get food into his mouth he won't really like your help apparently we are too slow for them.

As far as daycare, as the teacher if it would be okay but really it should be. They are used to it and if other children are already eating more table foods they are already prepared for the mess.