Challenge Q: Independent eating

Cheekers2010

This feel like a question I should be asking about a 1 year old, but here goes.  G likes to be fed.  I blame myself.  Because he had so many problems with eating for so long, my DH and I got into the habit of feeding him.  And we've created a monster.  If we leave him with pizza or snacks, etc., he totally feeds himself.  However, if he has the opportunity he would rather have us feed him.  He uses a fork just fine but is crap with spoons.  I'm not particularly worried because I know it's not a motor skill issue or anything like that, just habit.  For right now, I'm encouraging him to eat as much as possible by himself but I'm feeding him anything that requires a spoon.  I'd like to transition to him feeding himself independently but I don't know how much to push it.So, here is my question:

How hardcore would you be about him feeding himself?  

pitterpatter129

I'd really get on that pretty "hardcore" if it were me.  But, I'm waaay too lazy to bother to feed my kid.  You have more patience for sure.  I'm like, here's your food, put your plate in the sink when you are done. <img src="https://comm

chickaboo1974

I would strongly encourage it.

About the only thing my guys will let me feed them is yogurt in the morning- other than that they have always wanted to feed themselves- with two that attitude has been a blessing.

bosha711

I can sympathize. Until recently DS would almost always insist on us feeding him. Is was so f*cking annoying. It was like his arms were broken. He'd refuse to even lift his hands out from under the table to pick the food up. He knew how, he just wouldn

Strunella

DS mostly feeds himself, but there are times that I feed him to expedite things.  Sometimes he gets distracted, so I feed him to keep things moving along.  I also want to be eating when he's eating, so I really prefer that he feeds himself.&nbsp

jillybean800

Alexander feeds himself with a fork or his hands, but I don't really give him anything that requires a spoon. If I did, I think I would feed him. I know I should let him learn to feed himself with a spoon, but he honestly doesn't eat a lot that require

Cheekers2010

bosha711:

I can sympathize. Until recently DS would almost always insist on us feeding him. Is was so f*cking annoying. It was

xxbabycakesxx

I'm bad but I feed G cause hes too messy. I know he CAN feed himself cause he does at my MILs but she doesn't mind the mess. Like, if I gave him yogurt, I'm sure half would end up on him. And I guess thats my fault cause I'm not letting him practice =S

keags5496

We only feed when I need to speed things up. Truthfully, most of the time if we try to feed him we get told that he wants to do it quite forcefully so he has decided that he wants to do it.

We figured the spoon thing out last summer by eatin

lulu8109

I would be pushing it pretty hard :-)  DS feeds himself entirely.  DS even eats yogurt on his own, but a fair amount of it ends up all over the place.I can't imagine feeding him.  You guys have more patience than me! 

I thi

missmuffin87

Well Hazel can feed herself. like this morning she fed herself an entire yogurt with no problems. But sometimes lately she's been a total mess on purpose, so meal times have been getting really difficult. Sometimes I'll feed her just so I don't have to