I have been reading more about Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)
as an approach for feeding Henry. As I wrote before, I am looking for
alternatives to spoon-feeding and BLW
seems promising. After the entertaining but unsuccessful attempt at letting
Henry feed himself peas and avocado, I needed to get a better idea about
how to make self-feeding work.
After some initial investigation,
it seems like the best place to begin is with long strips of food that Henry
can easily grasp and bring to his mouth. Large stick-shapes can work for pieces
of fruits, vegetables, bread crusts, or meat.
Pancakes make a frequent appearance on our weekend breakfast
table, so started there. Daddy made two small pancake strips for
Henry and placed them on his tray as we started breakfast. Henry wasted no time
picking one up and getting it to his mouth. It was easy for him to suck on the
pancake strips, which gradually dissolved in his mouth. He was
completely engrossed in figuring out how to handle these new objects – picking
them up, dropping them, pulling them apart, and slurping on the slowly
disintegrating pancakes.
Henry investigates his first pancake. |
This was our first real family meal together and it was very
enjoyable. We all sat at the table and ate the same foods. Henry learned new
skills and watching him maneuver the pancakes was great breakfast entertainment
for Daddy and me. There also was not much clean-up involved. After breakfast,
we just washed Henry’s hands and cleared off his tray.
Henry joins the family in eating a pancake breakfast. |
Based on our pancake experience, I am feeling more confident
that BLW may work for us.
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