If you’ve ever taken our course, you know we are big believers of baby-guided feeding.
Written by: Jessica Diamond, MPH, RDN
If you’ve ever taken our course, you know we are big believers of baby-guided feeding: it builds independence, intuition, and a sense of adventure around food, all while developing your baby’s fine motor skills. But it also invites a huge mess, which can make many – if not most – parents anxious!
We’re here to tell you to find meaning in the mess. There are so many exciting things happening, developmentally and nutritionally, once babies start to feed themselves. Keep these things top of mind the next time there’s a big (but meaning-full!) mess:
So you’re willing to embrace the mess, but you still want it contained: make sure you have a good splat mat under the high chair, a long-sleeved bib, and wipes or a wet washcloth to clean your baby when they are done. And don’t be afraid to do most meals in a diaper. You’ll save time and money not having to clean (or replace) so many clothes!
You can shop our favorite items to manage the mess at meal time here. If you want some extra help with this messy milestone, check out our Feeding Your Baby Solids Food Course. The course covers everything you need to know about feeding your baby real food and gets you ready (physically and mentally) for this meaning-full milestone.