When it comes time for our children to learn how to eat, any parent can become overwhelmed by the vast array of cutlery choice but, how do you decide which ones are best and once you have decided how do you successfully introduce it to your kids? Follow this paragraph to find the answers to these questions, and more!
To start, when looking for cutlery, you may notice that there are more options for children than adults. There are different sizes of cutlery that are geared toward the different stages of a child's development. Infant spoons are small and tear dropped shape and are typically covered in a soft rubber coating to help protect baby's gums.
Baby Food Processor
Moving up the age ladder, toddler spoons are much larger and usually have a round or square tip and can be found with or without the rubber coating but, because a growing toddler may still have exposed gums, it is often recommended to prevent giving them a utensil without coating. At this stage, although forks can be found for toddlers, they are not often recommended in order to prevent injury especially when toddlers start feeding themselves.
Something else that you will want to look for when choosing utensils, or anything that you child could put into his or her mouth is to be sure that all plastics are free of Bisphenol A, or BPA which can lead to major hormone effects and is listed as a toxic in many countries. It's also important to consider the cost of the cutlery because even though the expensive sets can also be some of the cutest, you should keep in mind that children, particularly toddlers are hard on everything and could end up damaging that adorable one of kind set.
Once you have chosen the appropriate eating tools for your little one, the task begins of showing them just how to use it. This is no small feat, mind you but, it is also one of the most rewarding milestones that a parent and child can accomplish! Begin giving your little one a spoon starting around age 1. They won't be great at using it yet but, it will pave the way. In between feeding attempts, show your child how to correctly use the utensil by dipping your spoon into their food. Remember to always praise your child to let them know how proud you are.