At what age can a child eat by himself

As children grow up, they will gradually learn various skills, such as eating. When the child is a little older, he or she will know how to put food into his or her mouth. When the child can hold a spoon by himself or herself, you can teach him or her to eat by himself or herself. So, at what age can children usually eat by themselves? The following will introduce you to the relevant knowledge!

1. How old is the baby when he can eat by himself

Most babies can pick up food and put it into their mouths at 8 months old, and can use spoons more skillfully at 1.5-2 years old, and then forks and chopsticks. This process is the development trend of the baby's hand-eye coordination ability and fine motor skills, and is also the result of continuous attempts and exercises. Specifically, when the baby can grab food and put it to his mouth, or likes to grab the spoon from the adult's hand and imitate the adult to eat with a spoon, it means that the baby can eat by himself. At this time, parents can train the baby to eat by himself.

2. Tips for your baby to learn to eat by himself

1. Help feed the baby when necessary: ​​When the baby is not yet skilled at feeding, he may not be able to feed himself, so it is necessary for parents to help feed the baby.

2. Prepare suitable food and tableware: For example, prepare food of appropriate size for the baby and use suction cup tableware. For older children, you can let them choose their favorite tableware.

3. Don’t force your baby: Believe in your baby’s self-regulation ability. Generally, children know what they want to eat and how much they want to eat. Don’t force your baby if he doesn’t want to eat anymore.

4. Create a good dining atmosphere: You can eat with your baby or let your child participate in family gatherings so that your child can enjoy the meal.

5. Develop good eating routines and habits: Let your baby sit in a fixed dining chair to eat, and avoid being disturbed by television, mobile phones, toys, etc. Each meal should not take more than 20 minutes. If you haven’t finished eating, stop eating.

6. Cleaning: If you are worried about the mess on the floor, table, and clothes, you can lay out newspapers and placemats and wear a bib before eating to reduce the trouble of cleaning.

3. Things to note when your baby learns to eat by himself

When babies first start learning to eat, they always make a mess of themselves, the table, and the floor, so some parents use a method they think is cleaner and more efficient: feeding them. Gradually, the baby develops the habit of opening his mouth when food is served, and loses interest in eating on his own. Some parents will chase their babies to feed them in order to get one more bite, which prevents the baby from deciding how much to eat by himself, and may make the baby hate eating. Therefore, instead of letting children learn to eat by themselves, it is better for parents to learn to let go.