Ok maybe now that she's three she's more like a preschooler. But anyways
At what age do you stop helping your child eat? Like put food on their fork and feed them? She obviously can and will feed herself but she eats much better if we feed her and sometimes even asks us to help.
blogger / grapefruit / 4836 posts
We did blw so we never did this. Well, i guess with yogurt and other things that require a spoon. Lo still cant use a fork though...maybe to do some modeling and show him how, but i cant see ever feeding him like that at this point since we never have.
persimmon / 1295 posts
We're 3 1/4 years and I am always sticking extra fork bites in her mouth!
honeydew / 7687 posts
Nope we never have unless he asks. He's 22m and uses a fork and spoon fine but we don't care if he uses his hands at this age.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@IcebergMom: ok this makes me feel better!
@Mrs. Lion: we did a lot of BLW also and she's a great water because of it (loves lots of things) but without a high chair to hold her in her seat she's just so distracted at the table so if we load her fork or even fork it in for her she happily opens and eats it. I know our bigger problem is rules for the table like once you get up your food is gone type thing.
blogger / grapefruit / 4836 posts
@T.H.O.U.: oh yeah, i can see how that would be tough without a high chair. We still use the tray and everything (he sits in a booster at the table with us) so eating for him is still a sloppy messy free for all haha 
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
@T.H.O.U.: My oldest is almost 3.5 and is fully capable but loves when we feed him. And at dinner especially I give in just to get the meal done and get him in bed faster because I'm so worn out at that point. So, you're not alone!
honeydew / 7488 posts
I still load my DS's spoon for him if he gets distracted and isn't eating. But generally he eats by himself until he's taken the "edge" off then starts looking around and talking to people, and that's when I start helping since I don't feel like waiting forever!
pear / 1614 posts
We still do it at 2.5. He is capable of feeding himself but with a lot of the things we eat (salad, even some casseroles) he has a hard time getting bites onto the fork, just gets frustrated, and while I am usually all about him learning things on his own I really am happy that he enjoys the same food as we do when we all sit down together. I'm just glad he is eating the healthy stuff so I try not to stress about it.
papaya / 10560 posts
I rarely do at 2. I give him a fork, if he doesn't want it he just uses his hands.
pomelo / 5298 posts
Distraction is our problem as well. She's 3 and will often tell us she doesn't know how to eat (we know she does) or is so distracted and I'm ready to be done with the meal.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
@MamaG: Ours says the same thing lol! It's super annoying and I hate to give in, but I feel ya on just wanting to be done!
pomelo / 5298 posts
@Boogs: Just yesterday, she didn't know how to eat a peanut butter sandwich. Really? C'mon! I promise if it was a cookie, she would have figured it out lickety-split.
squash / 13208 posts
@T-Mom: ha yes - same here! DD is 3.5 and she eats well at 1st then gets distracted but if she looks down and sees food on her fork she will eat it -so yes, sometimes I do still "load the fork" 
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
@MamaG: Haha seriously. I always tell mine if it's ice cream or a cookie would you know how and of course it's always yes. He ate cereal on his own yesterday and today again he "didn't know how." Can't wait for the phase to pass!
clementine / 806 posts
She can eat by herself just fine ... but she eats bigger bites (and faster) if I help her. Otherwise it's a very long and messy meal. Which I'm okay with .. but her attention span for eating is only 10-15 minutes. I can get in her whole meal by helping her in 15 minutes. If I leave her to it, it's only half the meal and she won't be full - no longer starving so she'll want to get down and play but not full enough to sustain her till the next meal which means I have a cranky toddler an hour or so later.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
For those of you that don't, how do you keep them at the table and actively eating? Do you have rules like once you Get down the plate is removed? No snacks after dinner? Bribe with dessert?
grapefruit / 4120 posts
I figure he never needs "help" when it's something he really likes. So... I don't help. But yes, we do "bribe" with dessert. Don't finish x, no dessert. His choice.
(I do admit I have caught our nanny "feeding" him... until way more recently than I would like.)
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
Rarely do at almost 2, she's always been a very independent child. She gets mad when I cut stuff up because "I big mommy", but I'm still too nervous of the chocking hazard.
blogger / kiwi / 588 posts
LO is 17 months and we started BLW at around 10 months. We did purees initially from 6-10 months, but realized that LO did not like being fed and mealtime was stressful for all of us. He liked having control over how much he was eating so we switched over to BLW and haven't been able to spoon feed him since! For the most part, either my DH or I eat with him during his meals. So he eats along with us in his booster/hi-chair. He's gradually using his spoon more efficiently, but if he just wants to stuff his face, he just uses his hands. He's also pretty good about trying new food and will at least stick it in his mouth to taste it. If I try to feed him he won't have it. Recently he has started to dump his plate/bowl on his tray, which annoys me, but then he continues eating the food so I guess it isn't so bad.
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