Reviewed by Infant Feeding Specialist and Little Melly Founder, Jennifer Muller Mansour
We get asked a lot about how to manage mealtimes, especially when baby isn’t fond of the food. Mama Melly shares the mealtime routine she adopted with her little Melanie below.
1. Patience and consistency are key.
It takes patience to reach milestones, just like it takes patience & consistency for a caregiver to repeatedly sit through mealtime this way. Every mealtime should look the same and be predictable for baby. That means the same chair, the same room, and the same mood (at least at the beginning until baby is rolling through his/her food enjoyably).
2. Ensure a peaceful environment.
A peaceful environment is important so that the focus is solely on eating. No TV on, no side distractions like people talking, a soothing, calm environment, and a relaxing tone in communication between mom and baby. Even when baby is misbehaving or wanting to throw food on the floor, mom does not react and show anger. That will only result in baby wanting to do it all the more.
3. Embrace the messy reality.
Mealtime for baby is never going to look like our adult mealtimes. They want to throw food on the floor, they want to touch the food, and more. Embrace this all within boundaries. Sometimes we allow it, but sometimes we need to limit it too. The best way to limit certain behaviors is to distract baby from them.
4. Talk, talk, talk.
Although babies don't fully understand everything they hear at this age, they understand a lot. Speaking to your baby during mealtime is impactful. This will also pave the way for great verbal skills early on. Moreover, touching food and naming them will lead to baby being able to name them much earlier than had they not touched the food.
5. Get clown-y sometimes!
Sing, dance, smile and act silly when appropriate.
Hope these tips help you! Next time you’re stressed at mealtime, remember this scenario and try to replicate it.
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Happy Eating!
