dumb question alert....

Ok, I hear a lot about giving the kids smoothies...I like this idea, but mine don't drink from a straw and I don't think it would work in the sippy, would it?

For those of you giving yogurt, applesauce, oatmeal, mashed potatos are your 13 month olds using a spoon to eat this stuff b/c mine don't want me to do it anymore, and well we haven't really tried the spoon as of yet....Any help appreciated

 

I just got some munchkin straw sippies and my girls mastered them on the second sip. They were relatively cheap and they dont leak!

My girls are almost 18mo and I dont give them spoons, I am holding off for as long as possible, I dont want any more messes.

 

Another vote for the Munchkin Straw Cup. :good: As for the spoon, I gave mine utensils around 15 months.

 

I did straw cups from the beginning, because I thought it was easier than teaching how to tip a head back to drink from a sippy. I bet if you showed them and worked at it for a bit, they will get it! Yeah, I don't think smoothies will work in a sippy with a valve.

I'm with Cohlee -- I still haven't done spoons, and mine are almost 22 months. I really need to get on that. But, what I do if the kids are refusing a bite of something -- I put the filled spoon down on the tray, and say okay, you do it -- and then gently guide their hands when they pick it up to do it themselves.

They're getting decent at it, so I'm hoping the whole spoon thing will be less of a mess when we finally get around to it. I do the same thing with forks -- put one bite of something on a fork down on the tray, and they can pick it up and put it in their mouths.

 

I want to try smoothies as well-I need to go back and check out the recipes for them-and go and get some new sippy cups! But shhhh...don't tell dh!

As for self-feeding with utensils... I am sitting here while my boys feed themselves cereal w/milk. It's so nice. Is it messy? Some days are messier than others-but no messier than them doing it themselves.

I posted a thread last night that my boys seem to eat better when THEY use the fork/spoon. Put the food on the fork and they are all about putting it in their mouth. I didn't start the fork until just recently though. I probably started the spoon around their first birthday-consistently at least. It really isn't that bad. And it gives mommy/daddy a break as well!

 

I have the same issue with straws... although I guess I should try again as it's been a while since I tried last. My straw cups seem to leak though, which bothers me, but oh well. I have the same issue regarding yogurt though... it's getting harder and harder to feed them, and they're nowhere near ready to use a spoon.

 

Yes, straws are a must for something like a smoothie (although I have to admit, I have yet to make home made smoothies- so far the girls have only had the stony field yogurt smoothie drinks that are pre-packaged).

As for mushy foods, in the beginning they used their hands and then I got them spoons. Yes its messy, sometimes its frustrating, but now they are getting very good at using them... unless its something they really want to eat and then they hold the spoon or fork in one hand, while shoveling the food in with their other hand