The Joys of Eating With Toddlers

By Neilia Sherman

My 18-month-old son is at the stage in the developmental process that comes between being spoon-fed and being able to properly utilize cutlery. He is learning how to feed himself, and as any parent can testify, this is not one of the more enjoyable aspects of parenting.

At home, my child eats with his hands, vigorously shoving food into his mouth, quicker than he can chew or swallow. The fact that he has only six teeth does not faze him. He will use his spoon occasionally to stab at his food, but quickly becomes frustrated and flings it on the floor. Unfortunately, his method of signaling that he is full is also to throw all of his food on the floor. Our dining area has wall-to-wall carpeting and, of course, is irrevocably stained.

Imagine my surprise when upon visiting my son at his day care, I found him carefully spooning soup into his mouth.

"He doesn't do that at home!" I exclaimed.

"Oh," his teacher replied casually. "He's been using a spoon for months here."

Another eating game has developed that is designed to send me to an early grave. A natural joker, my son takes note of anything that gets a rise out of me, so that he can repeat it for his future pleasure. The first time he choked on his food, I jumped up wild-eyed and ready to attempt the baby Heimlich maneuver. He spit out the food on his own, and subsequently, whenever I appear too relaxed at dinner, he begins to gag. As soon as I jump up ready to pull him from his highchair and go to work on him, a big smile appears on his face. Meanwhile, I stand there panting, trying to decide whether I'm having an anxiety attack or a heart attack.

Want to see more?

• Fun, Food and Family: Dining Out With Children
• Dine and Dash: 10 Tips for Dining Out With Toddlers
• Someone's in the Kitchen With Mommy
• Talk about it!