Feeding my Toddler

So I must admit that I have come to a realization over the past few months that Jayson has been eating solid foods by himself: kids are messy eaters.
Yes, I know that this goes without saying, but I don't think I realized how messy kids can get. Maybe it's because I always only saw kids who weren't messy eaters? I don't know. But I used to worry so much about keeping Jayson clean while he ate that we kept him from a lot of foods like soup, refried beans, and other messy foods like that. But those foods are also good for him to eat. So what is a parent to do?

Give up, that's what!

 I think one of the first things that we let him eat by himself to disastrous results was refried beans. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the spoon in his mouth meant that he was eating with it--he was totally eating with his hands. He would grab a big handful of beans and slowly coerce them into his mouth.


Life has been a lot easier since we stopped caring about how he looked during meals. I mean, there is always soap and water after the fact, and carseats are generally washable. Our only rule is that he's not allowed to wear clothes while he is eating.
The only exception is when we go out to eat, like for his first birthday at Red Robin.

This actually wasn't that bad of an experience, since he was only eating a little bit by himself.

The story is a little different when we eat at home. This picture is of Jayson eating some baked potato soup. It is thick enough that he can grab it and eat it in chunks, a lot like he eats refried beans and oatmeal actually.

So, to make a long story short, just let your kids eat. They need to learn how to eat by themselves eventually, and you will have some really fun experiences.