t e a c h i n g e v e r y d a y a c t i v i t i e s 75
To prepare your child to eat by herself
Before your child begins feeding herself, you can help her prepare to
learn these skills.
When nursing your baby, give her a sign, like
touching her cheek, to let her know you are about
to feed her. As she feeds, place her hand on your
breast. This helps her learn where the milk comes
from.
When you start feeding your baby soft foods,
tell her when you will be putting food in her
mouth. Let her touch the bowl and keep her
hand on yours as you bring the food to her
mouth. Describe what she is eating and how it
tastes, and encourage her to touch and smell
the food. If she spits out the food, keep trying.
She needs to get used to eating in other ways
than sucking on a breast.
Marisol, open
your mouth.
Here comes the
rice.
Encourage your baby to try different kinds
of food. When she can eat mashed foods,
feed her the same foods that adults
eat. Then she is more likely to want
these foods as she gets older. If she
does not like foods with different
textures, keep trying. Eating
different foods will help her learn to
swallow well.
Eloho, here
are some
yams...mmm
Mama’s
favorite!
Let your child touch the food
before you feed her.
If your baby cannot hold her head up, hold her in your lap and support
her head with your arm. To help strengthen her neck muscles, see
page 37.
helping children who are blind