Mommies with self-feeding babies…?
Question: Mommies with self-feeding babies…?
…how do you help feed your baby “slippery foods” like avocados and peaches without actually picking up the food and feeding them yourself? My 8 month old is generally really good at feeding herself, but she gets so frustrated at picking up things that are cut up small to prevent choking and are naturally very slippery. Avocados especially, since she loves them so much. I’ve been cutting them lengthwise into “fingers” and letting her take bites while I hold it, but I hate doing this as I want her to be completely independent with feeding. So how do you help them learn how to deal with slippery foods without hindering their independence?
The peaches are a fear of choking…the avocado not so much because it’s so soft. That’s why she’s not successful at picking up the avocado. No matter what size it is, if she tries picking it up herself, it’s too mooshy and slippery and she ends up just smashing it and making herself really mad.
She doesn’t like using a spoon. Everything I give her, and always have, is in finger food form.
K: I know! Who would like an avocado straight up?! My husband eats it straight out of the skin. My daughter goes berserk for it! It gags me, but if she likes it, I’m not going to deny her, it’s just so good for her! 
Answer:
Answer by rainwriterm
Can you cut them into “fingers” and just let her pick them up and take bites off of them? She’d hold most of it in her fist, gnaw on and take bites from what’s sticking out, get down to her fist, then drop it for a better one. Don’t worry about her choking if she happens to shove the whole thing into her mouth at once. Her body is designed to realize “wait, I can’t chew this; it’s too big!” and to spit it out.
What do you think? Answer below!
I don’t have kids but it sounds like you’re going to have to let her figure it out on her own. She’ll get frustrated but she’ll figure it out eventually. Like anything…standing, walking, talking…she’s going to have to make a lot of mistakes before she figures out how to do it right but it’s the only way she’s going to learn.
Have you tried putting them in a bowl and giving her a spoon? I guess she’s too little to be using forks. Ouch, just poked my eye out.
mash the avocado and let her use a spoon, or spread it on toast/crackers cut into bite sized pieces.
give her a whole peach, she will only be able to take small bites (this is what I did with my boys)
Or get a mesh self feeder for slippery foods.
with my son I just cut them into fingers and kept a close eye on him.
serve these foods in a bowl with a spoon or fork & when less ripe. your fear of choking can be alleved with a CPR class. avocadoes can be eating in sandwiches & used in recipes, just as peaches can.
there are wee feeders you can get- they have a small plastic ring and like a mesh bag which you can put foods into, which are great for such foods. They should be available at most retail outlets. This way she can still hold the feeder herself and put the food to her mouth without dropping it constantly.
We just didn’t have that much that was slippery at first. Soft fruits were on my list of ‘frustration foods’ that were just best avoided. (And who wants unseasoned avocado, anyway? Lovely in a sandwich or as guacamole, but)
Try again in a month or two; let her get confident on low-frustration stuff, she’ll be a different baby next time the sliced peach comes out. Also try just handing over a peach (plum, etc) instead of slices; leave the peel on.
In re. spoon: just keep giving her her own bowl whenever you’re having something that can be spooned up with relative ease. She’ll go for it eventually.