Flying High at Feeding Time

My six month old is learning all about solid foods.  It’s a bit of fun, it’s messy, and to her it’s downright scary!  My baby is hesitant whenever she tries a new food, perhaps it’s a new texture, chunkier, thicker, ‘greener’, sweeter than the last, or perhaps it just plain old tastes weird.  She frowns and spits it back onto her bib, giving me eyes of distress.  Sometimes she skips the distress and gets upset, throwing the food and screaming.  How could I encourage my baby to try new foods, and expand her palate… and that’s when I thought of the ‘have a go spoon.’

My daughter’s ‘have a go spoon’ is pink and has two wings and a tail fin.  It is an aeroplane to be precise.  It’s also her absolute favourite.  “Zoom” goes the aeroplane spoon, making meals an enjoyable experience.  The two wings and tail fin make for handy holding tools and she can easily grasp her little hand around it and shove it towards her face, and occasionally by mere fluke she might even get some in her mouth.  It’s messy, crazy, bubby-friendly fun.  And that’s why we made this amusing utensil the ‘have a go spoon’.

Now whenever she tries a new food, out comes her favourite aeroplane spoon. She squeals with delight as the new foreign mixture is held in front of her.  Torn between spitting out the unfamiliar mixture, and wanting to play with her aeroplane, she opens her mouth for a mouthful knowing that a game of ‘mummy does one, bubby does one’ is sure to follow.  (This way at least half the amount of food might just make it to her tummy!)

At the moment her ‘have a go spoon’ is a token offering from me to her for being so brave in trying something new.  It’s a gimmick, a bit of fun, a reward perhaps.  But when she’s a bit older, perhaps this simple little spoon will be a support system for her, allowing her to feel confident to try new things, experience new aromas, tastes, and smells.  At the moment her aeroplane is a toy, but as se gets wiser it may become a window into the unpredictable; a ‘brace yourself, it’s coming!’ of the edible world. 

She is proud of herself when she has a go, and she is delighted that her favourite ‘have a go spoon’ is there with her.  Perhaps in a way the aeroplane spoon is the security object she needs for her to grow her confidence.  It’s a more mess, more fun, more child friendly way for us to help bub experience new things.  In this scenario it starts with food, but with confidence and encouragement it could lead to so much more.  And the concept itself of encouraging children to ‘have a go’ shouldn’t be forgotten.

You can help your child feel encouraged to ‘have a go’ by providing a safe place where it’s ok to make mistakes.  Children learn through play, and when the play is initiated by the child the learning is authentic and allows the child to make connections about their world.  Since ‘play’ is so important to children, you can use routine times, such as feeding time, to have some fun while your child learns, and help pave the way for these connections. (Harris, G. Foundations for Families, 2006).  Watch their confidence soar (no pun at the aeroplane intended!) as they are presented with opportunities to ‘have a go’.

 The ‘have a go spoon’ works well for my baby, as she is hesitant to try new foods.  All babies are different.  What is your child hesitant of?  And how could you encourage them to have a go?

A.S.

Project Development Worker

Communities for Children