Mealtime Activity: 8-12 Months

As you're putting food on your baby's high chair tray, count aloud the number of pieces. Teach him simple signs to go along with mealtime, such as "eat," "more," and "finished." He may begin to use these very quickly to communicate  with you! Show him what real whole fruits and vegetables look like (e.g., While peeling his banana, say, "This is a banana."). Follow-up by reading picture books about healthy foods and common mealtime objects, such as bibs, bowls, etc. You can also introduce him to an open drinking cup during this stage and it's also alright to give him a safe, rubber-handled baby spoon. Let him begin to experiment with using eating utensils by showing him how to dip the spoon in bowl. You may find that he loves trying to "feed" himself!

Possible Intervention Strategies & Supports

• Don't hesitate to adjust signs according to your baby's needs. For example, teach him to clap for "more" if bringing his fingers together in front of him is difficult.

• Label foods as you're giving them to your baby, but keep your language simple (i.e., one or two words). Too much language can become "verbal garbage" to children this age. Be sure to make eye contact when you're talking to him.

• Instead of using a walker, jumper, or other supported standing device, giving your baby time to play and move around on the floor on his tummy is the best way to support the development of creeping, scooting, and crawling skills. Creeping, or pushing himself around the floor on his stomach, helps to improve his arm strength, hand use, open-hand weight bearing, and his ability to cross his hands over his body to reach and grab for things. These are all actions that are later needed in order for him to feed himself.

• Help your baby learn to spoon feed herself by holding her hand, helping her scoop, bringing the spoon halfway to her mouth, and then letting go and allowing her to do the rest.

• To help develop the small muscles in his hands and fingers, put small pieces of food in a shallow cup with a small enough opening that her whole hand can't reach inside of it. Encourage her to reach in the cup and grab the pieces of food. You might have to show her how to do this the first few times. Be sure that you're showing her how to grab the pieces using your thumb and index finger, known as a pincer grasp (see image above).

Tips

By 8 months, most babies are eating a variety of soft fruits and vegetables, such as pieces of pear or avocado. Your baby may even be eating very small pieces of meat. Just make sure to cut his food small enough to avoid choking, but make the pieces large enough so that he can pick them up with his fingers. First finger foods should be easily dissolvable or "mashable" in the mouth (e.g., dry baby cereals like Cheerios or Puffs, soft fruits, and soft cooked vegetables). Be sure not to place any liquids other than formula, milk, water, or juice in a bottle. It is not recommended that children drink whole milk until 12 months of age, and given the approval of a pediatrician. Don't worry if he tends to like to throw things off of his highchair. Lots of babies do this. He's likely just trying to play a game with you to see if you will pick it up, so play along!

Family Handout

Click here to download an editable one-page handout of this age range's mealtime activity, interventions, and tips.