Mealtime Activity: 12-18 Months

Give your child choices of different foods whenever possible. For example, during snacktime say, "Would you like Cheerios or crackers?" She may not answer you verbally, but instead point to what she wants. If she is using some words, extend her language. If she says, "All gone!," you can say, "Your Cheerios are all gone!" Use your hand over hers to get food on the spoon and then encourage her to feed herself. Start having her drink small amounts of liquid out of an open cup (no lid or straw) as much as possible during meals.

Possible Intervention Strategies & Supports

• When providing choices for food, have the food available on hand or use photographs/pictures to indicate the choices.

• Straws can be used with children in this age range with adult supervision. They are good tools to help children close their mouths when eating and learn to use their whole mouths to chew and swallow.

• To help your baby develop a mature pinch grasp between her index finger and thumb, it is best to place just a few small pieces of food on her tray or plate so that she is encouraged to direct her reach to grasp a specific one, rather than just scooping up a whole handful.

• You can use a small plastic bathroom cup, making the amount equal to one sip, to introduce cup drinking.

• If your child holds the spoon at the very tip and/or displays poor control over it, reposition her hand to hold it with a full fist. If the spoon is long encourage holding the spoon closer to the bowl end of the spoon. Self-feeding can be messy, but messy is good for her to experience different sensory touch input, so don't be quick to clean her hands and face!

Tips

By 12 months, most toddlers are eating the same table foods eaten by other members of the family. Just make sure that pieces are sized appropriately to avoid choking and be aware that young toddlers can more easily choke on food with 'skin', such as grapes and hot dogs. Also, when starting to learn to drink from an open cup, she is likely to spill quite a bit. Try not to worry if she makes a mess! This is actually how she learns. Most pediatricians recommend that babies completely move from using bottles to cups by 12 months of age. Keep in mind that using a sippy cup is a "transition" to drinking from an open cup, but it can actually promote an immature pattern of drinking. If you want to control spillage, try using a cup with a recessed lid (e.g., travel coffee mug) instead.

Family Handout

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