Whether you’re new to the whole parenting thing or a seasoned professional, it’s easy to feel a bit lost when feeding your little one. How often should you be feeding your baby? When should they start on solids? How can you address picky eating?
While every child has unique needs and preferences, we’ve put together a few helpful tips to help make mealtimes a little less stressful. We totally understand the frustration when your toddler tosses the food you painstakingly prepared onto the carpet. It’s all part of the – admittedly, arduous – process. The pickiness won’t last forever; they’ll be teenagers draining your wallet on groceries in no-time.
Feeding a newborn
In the first couple of months of your baby’s life, you’ll be feeding them breastmilk, formula, or a combination of both. Encouraging your little one to feed can be difficult at first, particularly if you’re feeling stressed. Our best tips for keeping your newborn well-fed and content include:
- Feed them as soon as you notice their hunger cues. Newborns cannot regulate their hunger or hold it off until the next meal; you’ll save yourself countless headaches by feeding them before they get cranky.
- Try to get into a calm headspace while feeding your child. They are incredibly receptive to your body language and mood, all the way down to how fast you are breathing. If feasible, take five minutes to relax before feeding your child to keep both of you as calm as possible. Even just a minute of meditation goes a long way here.
- Make sure your baby is wide awake when they start feeding. A tired, crying baby is clearly pretty difficult to calm down enough to feed. This can be impossible to control at times, though, so we understand that this one is easier said than done.
- You’ll know that your baby is getting full when they begin to relax and show less urgency. When this happens, congratulations! You’ve successfully navigated another tricky day of newborn care.
Feeding up to six months
After a couple of months, your child might have fallen into a mealtime routine. If they have relatively few problems feeding, you can feel free to nurse or hold your child while you’re sitting at the dinner table. While they won’t be ready for solids yet, this can be a great time to introduce your child to varied social situations and lots of new words.
Feeding from six to nine months
Many babies are ready to start exploring solid foods at around six months old. If your little one can sit up, open their mouth to receive food, and touch and play with foods on a plate, they’re probably ready to start eating solids. If your child is willing to experiment with new tastes and textures, you can make the process a little easier with the following tips:
- Try out a high chair or booster seat with a sturdy table. Our OmniBoost Travel Booster Seat, for example, offers the comfort and stability your baby needs at mealtime. Safety-tested and produced using robust materials, this product allows even the most wiggly babies to eat, sit, and play. Plus, it’s easy to wash and pack up to use anywhere, anytime!
- Hold the spoon a few inches away from your baby’s mouth and see how they react. If they start grabbing and smearing the food around the table, this doesn’t spell disaster! Babies love experimenting with the world around them and enjoy playing with new textures, smells, and sights. If your baby chooses not to eat, this could just mean that they’re more curious than hungry at the moment.
- Gradually introduce thicker, lumpier foods as your baby gets used to solids. As your baby’s oral dexterity improves, they’ll get better at handling more complex textures.
- Involve your baby in family mealtimes at an early age to demonstrate regular eating schedules at longer intervals.
- Wondering what kinds of pureed foods to offer? While pre-packaged baby foods can come fortified with minerals and vitamins, you can also make your own fresh baby foods using fruits, vegetables, grains, bread, pulses, meat, or fish. As always, variation is king in your child’s diet.
The almost-toddler
Between the ages of 9 to 15 months, you can start offering formula or breastmilk in a cup rather than a bottle. When they’re around 12 months old, you can offer cow’s milk. You can also encourage your baby to start handling their food using fingers or a spoon (yes, this will get messy!). The more variation your child is exposed to in this stage, the easier feeding will be later on.
Feeding a toddler
Welcome to the picky stage! As kids learn more about food, they start to take more control of their food intake. Don’t worry too much if your toddler refuses to eat a lovingly prepared meal – it’s totally normal. However, there are a few things you can do to make mealtimes less of a battleground, including:
- Offering meals and snacks at regular intervals (every two or three hours) at the same times every day. In so doing, you will teach your child the importance of routine and encourage them to fill up on food when they have the opportunity.
- Eat as a family as often as possible.
- Liven up vegetables by experimenting with texture or blending them into a soup.
- Try to steer clear of bribes like “if you eat your broccoli, you can have ice cream,” as they can teach unbalanced relationships with food.
- Allow your child to leave food on their plate – it’s important that they learn to stop eating when full, or to eat when still hungry. It’s inevitable that your child will occasionally not want to finish all the food they have on their plate during this calibration period
- Keep the high chair for as long as you need! Wiggly children often struggle to eat without a secure seat.
Feeding bigger children
Once your child is past the age of three, they’re likely to be an expert eater who knows what they like. However, many parents still struggle to get their children to consume the fuel they need to thrive. Here are a few tips to make your job a little easier:
- Ensure your child enjoys at least an hour of physical activity each day, as this will help them build a healthy appetite!
- Don’t put your child on a diet – teach them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
- Be prepared to alter your meal plans from time to time. Occasional treats teach children about the importance of fun!
- Try not to provide too many ultra-processed foods, while serving whole fruits and veggies regularly.
- Cook with your child to teach them some life skills.
- Don’t be afraid of vegan or vegetarian diets – they’re perfectly safe for children, as long as they’re getting enough vitamins, protein, and iron.
Try hiccapop’s booster seat today!
Sturdy and reliable booster seats are an absolute must-have for parents looking to introduce their little ones to the big wide world of food. Fortunately, our OmniBoost Travel Booster Seat is stylish, affordable, and versatile – perfect for your baby or toddler. For more information about our products, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.
