Monthly Archives: April 2018

Why Messy Eating Is a Good Thing for Babies and Toddlers

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Do you fear letting your baby get messy? Can’t stand the sight of food in their hair or on the floor and dread the work that it means for you afterwards? You are not alone! Lots of parents have a really hard time allowing their baby to be a complete and total mess while eating. But did you know that this mess is more than just a headache for you later on? It is actually a critical learning experience for your little one! So next time you cringe at the sight of your toddler flinging applesauce across the room or your baby dropping yet another yogurt-covered spoon on the floor, remember that you are helping their development.

Below is a list of reasons why you should let your little one get messy while eating.

Messy eating…

  1. Provides important sensory experiences
    • Messy eating is a form of sensory play! It is an opportunity for your little one’s brain to receive feedback from their food regarding different textures, temperatures, colors, quantities and the difference between solid and non-solid foods. This sensory play promotes exploration and helps build a positive environment around their food.
  2. Leads to greater acceptance of foods
    • Once children are familiar and comfortable with the sensory information of their food, they are more willing to eat it. Sensory play and exploration helps kids overcome their fear of new textures and flavors and results in eating a more diverse diet.
  3. Promotes appropriate self-feeding skills
    • Allowing your little one to explore their food builds confidence and promotes independent eating.
  4. Develops fine motor skills
    • Self-feeding involves pinching, picking-up, reaching, holding a spoon and a number of find motor skills that your kiddo may be missing out on if you are always the one in control of the food container and spoon.

Tips to help the messy eating routine:

  1. Prepare for a mess by feeding your baby or toddler in a room with hard, easy to clean surfaces (i.e. tile, wood) and avoiding carpeted areas. Use placemats, floormats or even lay a towel or sheet down under the highchair.
  2. Ditch the nice clothes and opt for an old t-shit or onesie instead. You can even let your little one eat in only their diaper to avoid excess laundry! As long as it is a comfortable temperature in your house, your baby will not be too cold and it will save you a lot of time and hassle.
  3. Embrace the messy eating. Remind yourself that this GOOD and fun! Enjoy these moments and capture one of those classic-baby-moment pictures.

Kelly Fridholm, MCD, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Additional resources/related articles:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-food-fears-children/playing-with-food-may-help-preschoolers-become-less-picky-eaters-idUSKBN0O41MD20150519

Picture: Shutterstock

School Behavior Vs. Home Behavior

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Sometimes, parents ask us why their child is able to behave more appropriately at school but not at home. Parents can become confused and frustrated as to why the teachers do not report any concerns for their child but yet the child is having more difficulties managing their behaviors at home. Here are some tips for parents to implement into their homes to help mimic the school environment:

1. Create house rules-knowing that the classroom has set rules for the children to follow, we want to make sure there are also house rules to help mimic the sense of consistency and expectation for the child. House rules will not only help the parents be on the same page but also give the child a visual reminder of behaviors that are not acceptable in the home. Examples of house rules may include:

  • No hitting
  • Clean up toys before bedtime

*It would be best if the parents could write the two- to three- rules on a piece of paper and post it on the refrigerator to serve as a reminder for the entire family. After these are written down, talk to the child about the rules and what will happen if he/she is unable to follow them, such as resulting in a time-out.

2. Reinforce turn taking and sharing-knowing that children are expected to share and take turns with their peers at school, we want to make sure they are also expected to practice these skills at home. Here are some fun ways to incorporate these skills:

  • Play a board game with your child and use turn-taking. You take a turn and then have your child take a turn.
  • Engage in your child’s favorite activity and incorporate sharing. For example, ask your child if he/she can share the toy with you and then give it back after a couple of minutes. Continue to practice asking your child to share toys throughout the day.

*The child may show resistance to turn-taking and sharing outside of the school environment. The best way to implement these skills is to be consistent. Even if the child becomes upset over taking turns or sharing, it is important that the parent continue to follow through with the request in order to establish expectations for the child.

Brittany Hill, MS, MSW, LCSW, DT
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Developmental Therapist
Photo Credit:
http://iloveboardgames.com/family-games/
https://www.wikihow.com/Run-a-Household

Should I be working on pre-academic skills with my child?

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Although pre-academic skills such as letters, numbers, shapes and colors are important to learn, these skills should not be targeted until a child is able to functionally use language.  Can your child ask you for “more” of a preferred item? Can your child tell you what toy they would like to play with or what food they would like to eat? Can your child ask you for “help?” If the answer to these questions is no, then save working on pre-academic skills until your child has a stronger grasp on using language functionally.

What is functional language?

Functional language can be thought of as your child’s ability to make their wants and needs known. This includes core vocabulary words that are relevant in everyday life, such as names of important food items, toys, people, etc. It also includes words such as “more,” “help,” “all done,” and other requests that allow your child to communicate what they want or need. Working on these core vocabulary words is key in teaching your child to communicate with you. For language to be considered “functional,” it should be used for a communicative purpose such as requesting, commenting, or interacting with you rather than just labeling words.

Why is it important to have functional language before teaching pre-academic skills?

We want children to be able to say words that are important for everyday situations before they can say their colors, numbers, shapes, and letters. We want children to be able to converse with you meaningfully and ask you to have their needs met before they learn pre-academic skills. Of course it is great if a child can say “green,” “two,” or “circle,” but if they are not able to ask you for “more milk” it is time to take a step back from learning pre-academic vocabulary and focus on increasing your child’s ability to use language functionally.

When is it appropriate to work on pre-academic skills?

Pre-academic skills are concepts that are typically learned in the pre-school setting. If your child is using language to functionally communicate with you, it would be appropriate to learn pre-academic skills together if this is an important topic for you and your family.

Katie Dabkowski, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist