Return to site
Return to site

Mealtime with Infants

Infants need nurturing interactions with adults to build their security and trust, which are the basis of healthy learning and development. Engaging with your growing baby during mealtimes will make this routine fun for both of you.

Younger Infants

Find a comfortable place for you and your baby. Tell her you’re preparing to give her something to eat. This will let your child know what to expect next.

While feeding, have a conversation with your baby while maintaining eye contact to build on your social-emotional connection. You can ask your baby questions like, “Do you feel better now?” “Is your tummy getting full?” and “Does that milk taste good?”

broken image

Older Infants

When you begin preparing the food, tell your child you’re getting ready to feed him.

Place your child at the table in a high chair. Giving him bite-size food that he can pick up will keep him engaged and develop his fine motor skills.

If you are spoon feeding, try giving your child a second spoon to hold — mimicking your actions is great for hand-eye coordination and engagement.

As with young infants, having conversation with your older infant is important. You can ask him questions like, “Is that ______ good?” or “Do you like the way ________ tastes?”

Previous
Cotton Ball Grab
Next
Fostering Independence in Young Children
 Return to site
Cookie Use
We use cookies to improve browsing experience, security, and data collection. By accepting, you agree to the use of cookies for advertising and analytics. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn More
Accept all
Settings
Decline All
Cookie Settings
Necessary Cookies
These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. These cookies can’t be switched off.
Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us better understand how visitors interact with our website and help us discover errors.
Preferences Cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you've made to provide enhanced functionality and personalization.
Save